No More Owed
by Enna Energe
Summary: Katniss knows she owes the boy with the bread, and she hates the obligation. But now she has a chance to repay her debt. Occurs pre-Hunger Games. Now complete with outtakes in a separate story.
1. Chapter 1

No More Owed

1

The weather was unusually warm and clear for early spring. It was a shame such a perfect hunting day had to be wasted on a funeral, mused Katniss Everdeen.

Her little sister, Prim, squeezed her hand, and Katniss took a moment to wrap her arms around her sister and kiss the top of her blond head. Prim had hardly known the baker, but the sensitive girl still had tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. Katniss considered that perhaps she made the wrong decision in accompanying her mother to the funeral; perhaps should have stayed home to watch Prim, despite the younger girl's pleas for otherwise. Katniss would have preferred to protect her sister from the reality of death, although she admitted there was no real way to do so. And death by heart attack, even at the relatively young age of 40, was a lot less tragic than most of the deaths in District 12.

Mr. Mellark had been well-liked and his funeral was well-attended, although Katniss couldn't help noticing the Everdeen family and Katniss's best friend, Gale Hawthorne, were the only inhabitants from the Seam present. Katniss felt out of place, and the dark looks Mrs. Mellark kept shooting them did not make her feel more welcome. But she held her head high and refused to let that foul-tempered woman make her feel unworthy. Her mother had been childhood friends with Mr. Mellark; she, Gale, and even Prim had traded regularly with him. The baker used Prim's goat cheese in his baking and had a fondness for squirrels that Katniss and Gale were glad to capitalize on. They owed it to the soft-spoken baker with the friendly smile to come pay their respects.

And of course there was the matter of the baker's youngest son, Peeta. Katniss owed it to him, too.

She had never told anyone about the day five years ago when Peeta had saved her life. It had only been a couple months after her father had died – blown to pieces in a mining accident that had also claimed Gale's father – and her mother had descended into such a deep depression that she didn't notice her two daughters were starving in front of her. Driven to desperation, Katniss had opened the bakery's dumpsters, hoping to find stale food, but found instead they had recently been emptied. Mrs. Mellark had come out then to shoo her away and gripe about Seam brats pawing through her trash, but Katniss had hardly heard her and had barely taken notice of the blond boy from her class standing behind the screaming woman. Katniss had collapsed against a tree behind the baker's pig pen, waiting to either die or be taken away by the authorities and placed in a group home.

But before either of those very real possibilities could take place, she had heard a clatter and a following commotion from inside the bakery. The blond boy had stumbled out the backdoor with a red welt on his face and two loaves of burnt bread in his arms. Katniss could hear his mother yelling in the background about how he was a clumsy idiot and now the bread wasn't good for anything except feeding pigs. He began to tear off the burnt chunks and toss them to the pig, but as soon as he determined his mother wasn't peering over his shoulder, the boy threw both loaves at Katniss's feet and hurried back inside.

That bread had fed Katniss and her family for days. It had given Katniss strength and reminded her that she wasn't doomed. Her trips to the woods beyond the district fence with her father had been more than just bonding opportunities; she had knowledge of edible plants and access to her father's bow and arrows. She would survive. She would make sure of it.

The time had never seemed right to thank the boy with the bread, the boy who had saved her life yet never spoke a word to her. But she knew she owed him, and she hated owing people.

Katniss stole a look at the boy now. Unlike his mother, who stood by the graveside stoically, he was crying steadily as his father's coffin was lowered into the ground.

"At least he has a body to bury," Gale muttered softly, and Katniss was startled, not by Gale's callousness but by the fact that she was just thinking the same thing herself.


	2. Chapter 2

2

It was only weeks after the funeral when Prim brought home the news that Mrs. Mellark had sold off the bakery and was now engaged to the town blacksmith. Even in District 12, where sentiment never seems to count for much, marrying so soon after a spouse's death was somewhat shocking. The blacksmith was an older man with two grown sons and a reputation for having a bad temper but he was relatively well-off, and Katniss imagined Mrs. Mellark was not won over by his sunny personality.

Katniss wondered what would happen to the Mellark boys, and she kept her ears open for gossip when she and Gale traded their kills in town. She didn't have to listen hard; the fate of the Mellarks was seemingly the only thing the townies were talking about.

The new baker, a man named Franklin, had children of his own, but nonetheless he agreed to take on the eldest Mellark brother as an apprentice. The middle brother was recently apprenticed to his girlfriend's father, a carpenter. With both of those boys able to find room and board elsewhere, it was only the youngest brother, Peeta, who would move with his mother into his stepfather's home.

Katniss couldn't imagine the change would be pleasant for Peeta, but she reassured herself that at least he would have food on the table.

* * *

><p>Peeta began coming to school with bruises. First, a black eye. Then, a few days later, he had a nasty bump on his wrist, and the week after that he was forced to wear his arm in a sling for several days. Katniss wondered if those injuries came at the hands of his mother or stepfather; neither would surprise her.<p>

Even more worrisome than the bruises was that Katniss soon found her assumption about food on the table may have been incorrect. Peeta began losing weight and she saw him often without food at lunch. She had just seen his mother in town last week; she was looking plump and self-satisfied, so Katniss knew _she_ wasn't going without. She wondered if his parents were withholding food as some sort of punishment or if Peeta was refusing food as a form of silent protest. She wished she knew the boy better to say which option was more likely.

Katniss had never been big on friends. She had Prim and Gale, and that was enough for her. She also had Madge Undersee, the mayor's daughter. Katniss had expected a girl of her status to be somewhat of a snob, but Madge was okay. Just quiet and kept to herself, kind of like Katniss. Since neither Prim nor Gale was in Katniss's grade, she sat with Madge at lunch and at school assemblies. The girls partnered together for school projects or sport activities. They rarely talked much, but it seemed to suit both girls just fine.

Peeta wasn't like Katniss or Madge. He had always seemed very sociable – at least with the townies – but stress about his present situation seemed to be affecting his relationships. He appeared more sullen at school, and one day at lunch he had a loud fight with his friend Mica about missing a soccer game. After that fight, Peeta began eating lunch alone… or, more often than not, just sitting alone at a lunch table, staring off into space.

Katniss watched the boy and worried. She tried to be subtle about it, but Madge caught her glancing at him more than once and she finally raised her eyebrow in a silent question. Katniss just shrugged and went back to her sandwich. There was no way she was telling Madge the story about the bread, and she didn't want the girl to mistake her interest for something as trivial as a crush. Katniss told herself she needed to be better about minding her own business.

* * *

><p>The vow about minding her own business was broken very suddenly one day when she stumbled upon Peeta in the woods of all places. She never expected to find the boy with the bread behind the fence; besides her and Gale, virtually no one in the district was brave enough – or desperate enough – to climb past the sometimes-electrified fence and face the dangers of the woods, especially when trespassing was punishable by death. More alarming than his presence was the fact that she found him picking berries off an extremely poisonous nightlock bush. She was hundreds of feet away, but she shouted at him and even shot an arrow into a nearby tree in an attempt to startle him. It worked. He jumped and dropped the berries at his feet.<p>

"You didn't eat any, did you?" she asked him breathlessly after she ran to his side.

Instead of answering her, Peeta just stared at her and stuttered her name as if it was a question. Katniss figured it didn't matter; he was still breathing, so he must not have actually eaten any.

"Those berries you were picking are called nightlock. Extremely poisonous. You didn't get any juice on your fingers, did you?" She roughly took his hand in her own and examined his fingers and palms for evidence of the trademark blood red juice. His hands were surprisingly soft compared to her own, but they were clean and that was all that mattered. She told him to wash his hands carefully before eating anything, just in case.

Finally realizing the fate he had just narrowly avoided, Peeta blushed and thanked Katniss for stopping him. He might have said more, but Gale found them then, drawn by Katniss's screaming. When the handsome, older boy asked her what was going on, she didn't hesitate to tell him about the berries, although she realized halfway through her explanation that she was probably embarrassing Peeta.

Better embarrassed than dead though.

It struck Katniss that she had now evened the score between them – no more owed – but the thought only made her feel empty inside. She and Gale watched as Peeta slunk back towards the fence. Gale shook his head and said, "A boy like him doesn't belong in the woods. It's only a matter of time before he gets himself killed."

And Katniss realized why she wasn't satisfied – because she knew that, berries or no, Peeta's life was still in danger.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Katniss's stomach churned as she stood at the entrance to the cafeteria. She told herself she was being ridiculous. She had faced packs of wild dogs, had fought a black bear over honey, and had single-handedly saved her family from starvation; she could certainly talk to a 16-year-old merchant boy.

To stop her hands from shaking, she more tightly clutched the notebook filled with a copy of the entire edible plants section of her father's identification book. It had taken her and Prim almost a week to create it. It was only on cheap, lined paper and Prim's drawings weren't as good as their father's, but Katniss hoped the descriptions would at least be helpful to Peeta.

Madge almost walked by her then, and Katniss grabbed her arm before she could sit down at their regular table.

Madge gave her an alarmed look, and Katniss whispered, "Just follow my lead, okay?"

She let Madge go, but she knew the girl would follow her as she walked past their normal table and sat at Peeta's table, several seats down from the boy. Katniss didn't look at him or ask permission, but she did manage a cool nod in his direction.

Perhaps Madge supposed their presence required something of a preamble because she smiled tentatively at Peeta and asked if they could join him.

"Sure. If you want to," replied the boy, and he looked between them curiously.

Katniss tried to ignore his gaze. She began tearing her larger-than-normal lunch – a chunk of coarse bread and a small goat cheese from Prim – into pieces. She then passed some of those pieces to Madge and then, in what she hoped passed for an afterthought, to Peeta. Madge, who seemed to understand what Katniss was attempting as soon as she began tearing up the food, cut her sandwich into thirds and distributed the pieces between her tablemates. Peeta gave them both a suspicious look and made no move towards the food they set in front of him.

"We always share our food at lunch," explained Madge with a shrug. "It's more interesting this way; you get to taste more things. And you don't starve if you accidentally forget your lunch."

Katniss flinched at the word starve. "We've done it for years," she said, unable to keep the defensive tone out of her voice.

But perhaps she should have kept her mouth shut, because Peeta raised his eyebrow skeptically. Katniss realized the boy had eaten lunch in the same room as they had for years. Even though he sat at another table, he might have been observant enough to notice that the two girls rarely shared words, let alone food.

"I'm not hungry," Peeta said stiffly. He leaned away from the table.

"No one is forcing you to eat anything," replied Katniss, but her words probably sounded angrier than they should have.

"We just thought it would be rude to not include you in the tradition, Peeta," said Madge softly. Both girls went back to eating quietly, but they left Peeta's appointed portion in front of him.

Katniss worried that the boy might take offence at their poorly disguised pity and leave before she had a chance to give him the notebook; she knew that's how she would probably react in his situation. She wondered how she could complete her plan if he did. But boy's hunger apparently outweighed his pride and Peeta eventually began nibbling at the food they had shared with him.

While Katniss was usually very comfortable without making conversation at lunch, it felt strange to sit in silence with Peeta. Madge must have felt similarly, because eventually she tried to engage them in a discussion about the History class the three of them shared. Katniss had not paid attention in History class all year; she used her time to make lists of the things she knew she had yet to do or which hunting spots she wanted to visit with Gale on Sunday. She was of no help in the discussion, but Peeta had some interesting things to say about the book they were apparently reading. Katniss didn't mind listening to him speak; he actually had a pleasant voice. And he was funny. That was kind of a surprise.

Katniss waited until the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, before she slid the notebook across the table to Peeta.

"Thanks for letting me copy your History notes," she said. Her face betrayed no emotion as she stared into his eyes, willing him to go along with her obvious lie.

There was only a barely perceptible pause before Peeta nodded. "You're welcome," he said coolly, as he slid the notebook into his backpack.

* * *

><p>The next day, Katniss found Madge already sitting with Peeta at lunch. They were sitting next to each other and laughing. With her mission complete, Katniss wasn't quite sure if she should join them or sit at an empty table. Without having a good excuse to avoid them, Katniss approached the table with slow, reluctant steps and pulled out a chair a few seats away from either of them.<p>

At the sound of the chair scraping against the floor, an awkward silence descended on the table. Katniss noticed there was already food waiting to be shared – a salad, a bowl of berries, and some cold chicken – and she realized she would have to divvy up her lunch again. That was a lot more food than Madge usually brought, and Katniss wondered if the girl was trying to feed her as well as Peeta.

"Looks like a lot of food today," Katniss observed darkly.

Madge nodded. "Peeta brought a salad to share."

Peeta had brought the salad? That certainly captured her attention. On closer inspection she realized the artfully arranged salad was mostly made up of dandelion greens.

Katniss was so happy that Peeta had already obviously made use of the notebook that she gave both of them a bright, sudden smile. Peeta blushed and looked down at his food. Madge only stared at her in shock.

Apparently, Katniss didn't smile much.

While Madge and Peeta exchanged friendly chatter, occasionally pulling a one or two word response out of their other tablemate, Katniss noticed that much of the attention in the cafeteria was focused on their table. It had probably been even worse yesterday, but she had been too focused on her mission to pay any mind to the rest of her classmates. The extra attention didn't bother her – who cared what they thought anyway? – but she hoped it wouldn't scare Peeta off. It was kind of pleasant to have him eat at their table.

Near the end of lunch when Katniss rose to throw out her trash, she found Peeta by her side, mirroring her actions.

"Thanks for the notebook," he said, his voice so soft she was pretty sure she was the only one who could hear it.

She nodded, not exactly sure how to reply. Should she reference the bread? Explain that they were even now? "Hope it's useful," she managed to mumble.

She looked up into his face and found a hopeful, earnest expression had taken root there. He opened his mouth to say more, but the bell rang, obscuring his words.

Katniss used that as her excuse to run off to class.


	4. Chapter 4

4

That weekend, as on every Sunday, Katniss met up with Gale in the woods to hunt and forage. It had been a strange week, and Katniss was glad that she could count on this tradition with her best friend. She never felt more herself than when she was in the woods with Gale.

It turned out to be a decent hunting day. Gale's snares caught two rabbits and his arrows caught two more squirrels; Katniss managed to bring down two more squirrels, a couple doves, and a nice, fat groundhog.

They were sitting on their favorite rock outcrop, enjoying the view while they munched on some wild raspberries when Gale said he heard she and Madge started eating lunch with the merchant boy. His tone sounded a bit accusatory.

Katniss shrugged because it was true, and she didn't have much else to say on the subject.

"You know, people are starting to talk about the two of you," Gale continued.

"About me and Madge?"

Gale gave her a scornful glance, but Katniss honestly wasn't sure what he meant.

"Don't be naïve. About you and Peeta. They're saying you're… with him."

"Like a couple?" Katniss couldn't help the surprise from showing on her face. She never talked to Peeta outside lunch, and even at lunch, they rarely exchanged more than a few words. It would make a lot more sense if the rumors were about Peeta and Madge. "Are you sure the rumors aren't about Peeta and Madge?"

Gale sniffed before he admitted, "I heard some of that too. Those rumors didn't really worry me."

"But you _were_ worried about me and Peeta? Did you really think there was a chance I was seeing him secretly? Running off to neck with him behind the slag heap?" She wished she could have maintained an indignant tone, but the whole thing was ridiculous and she couldn't help laughing.

Gale lifted the corner of his mouth, bestowing on Katniss the crooked smile that had half the girls in school madly in love with him. "Of course not, Catnip."

"So why worry? Who cares what people are saying?"

"I just… I don't want you to get a reputation."

Katniss snorted. "You don't have to worry about me, Gale. I have no interest in Peeta. Or any other boy. You know that."

Gale nodded curtly and that was all the time they spent talking about that.

* * *

><p>Katniss was happy to find that the rumors and extra attention weren't enough to scare Peeta away from their lunch table. He even brought in more things to share: an occasional loaf of bread given to him by his brother, some blackberries, and some greenish flatbread he baked himself. She noticed he was only using the most familiar plants and herbs, those found in the within the fence. She worried that perhaps he was now afraid of the woods or maybe he couldn't identify most plants based on the notebook drawings.<p>

He was still too thin. And he was still getting new bruises.

Katniss wondered if Peeta would take out a tessera, but she suspected his mother would never allow it – not because the act would endanger her son's life but because doing so would be a point of gossip in the relatively-well off merchant community. She didn't understand why his mother wasn't stepping in to save her son. Why was she letting him starve in the first place? Why wasn't she protecting him from those beatings?

She remembered her own mother had almost let her and Prim starve to death after their father died, but she didn't believe for a second that Peeta's witch of a mother had descended into a heartbroken depression. That woman didn't have a heart, not if she could just stand by and watch as this happened to Peeta.

But, Katniss had to consider, wasn't that just what she was doing?


	5. Chapter 5

5

Katniss waited for her sister by the fence. She watched with a smile as the younger girl, with blond braids trailing behind her, bounded towards her.

Prim began talking before she even reached her sister.

"We sang songs in music class today, and Miss Reeberson said I had a very pretty voice. She asked me to sing a solo in the spring concert!"

Katniss smiled and took Prim's hand.

"Of course she did, little duck. She'd have to be tone deaf not to notice how sweetly you sing. Congratulations."

Prim blushed. "I told her my voice is nothing compared to yours. She asked if maybe you might try out for a solo too."

Katniss snorted. Unlikely. She had better things to do with her time than sing, especially in a concert organized by the Capital-funded school.

"I'll have to think about that," she said diplomatically.

The two girls had just begun to walk home when they came across Peeta, who seemed to be heading towards town. As he past them, the boy glanced over at Katniss, but when he found her eyes on him, he blushed and began to walk faster.

"Peeta! Wait!"

Between Peeta and Katniss, it was hard to say who was more stunned to hear Prim call out to the boy. Both froze and Peeta turned around slowly to face the little blond girl. She gave him a friendly smile.

"Were you able to follow my drawings in the notebook? I know they weren't in color and probably weren't the clearest, but you have to believe that my art is much better than Katniss's. Really. She's amazing in so many ways, but drawing is not one of them."

"I didn't realize you had helped with that project. Thank you."

Katniss blushed. First Gale, then Madge, now Prim. She hoped Peeta didn't think she was involving everyone she knew in his problems.

But he didn't seem upset. He even returned the young girl's smile and leaned in conspiratorially as he mock-whispered, "I'm afraid I haven't really put most of your illustrations to the test yet; I'm afraid of making a mistake."

Like with the nightlock, Katniss thought.

Prim nodded. "It is easy to get confused. So many of the plants look similar. And the mushrooms! Even I make mistakes sometimes. You should have Katniss take you out sometime and show you the plants in person. She knows everything. She'll make sure you learn what's safe and what's not."

Katniss stiffed and squeezed her sister's hand. Giving him the book was one thing; taking him beyond the fence was another thing completely. Going beyond the fence was a risk, and Katniss didn't like the idea of taking responsibility for the boy. Prim pretended not to notice, but Peeta seemed to catch her movement.

"No, no," he said quickly, "I wouldn't want to impose on your sister."

"You wouldn't be imposing. Katniss goes out there anyway. In fact, she's heading out after school today. Come with us now if you don't have any plans."

"Sorry. I do actually have plans for today. Plans I'll be late for if I don't take off now."

Prim actually grabbed his hand.

"Tomorrow then, Peeta. Walk home with us after school and you can leave right away."

Peeta looked up at Katniss, obviously searching for some sort of sign. She gave him a shrug and looked away.

"Okay," he replied softly. "Tomorrow then. But I've really got to go now."

Prim let go of his hand, and the boy practically took off in a run.

Prim called happily to him, "After school by the fence, Peeta! Meet us by the fence!" She looked up at her sister to find her scowling. "Don't give me that look, Katniss. You know you want to help him."

Sometimes the little girl was too smart for her own good.

* * *

><p>The next day Peeta sat beside her at lunch. They had never sat close before, and the extra proximity unnerved Katniss a bit. She hoped it wasn't too obvious that she inched her chair away from him.<p>

"Are you sure it's okay that I tag along with you today?" he murmured. "I know Prim put you on the spot. I could make up some excuse if you wanted."

Katniss shrugged. "It's okay." Although she never would have proposed taking Peeta into the woods, upon further reflection she supposed she wasn't really opposed to the idea; seeing things firsthand really was the best way for him to learn.

Peeta hesitated before continuing, "Maybe you haven't heard, but there are some rumors going around. About us. I just wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea."

Katniss stiffed. She shouldn't have been surprised. Despite his present distress, Peeta was a merchant and had merchant sensibilities. He was probably afraid of word getting back to his mother. Or maybe he was worried that he might screw up his chances with Madge?

"Listen, no one is forcing you to spend time with me. If you don't want to be seen with a Seam girl, you can just –"

"Oh, Katniss, no! That's not it!" His denial was too loud, and he glanced around the cafeteria quickly before shaking his head and continuing in a softer voice, "I'm not worried about what anyone says about me. I just worried about you. I don't want you to get in trouble with… anyone."

Katniss rolled her eyes at the idea of Peeta worrying on her behalf. "My mom won't care."

Peeta gave her a strange look, but he nodded and went back to eating.


	6. Chapter 6

6

He and Prim were already waiting by the fence when she arrived. Peeta had his notebook in hand and he looked nervous, and Katniss didn't quite feel comfortable with him yet. Perhaps he was only lying about being ashamed to be seen with her; perhaps he just didn't want to hurt her feelings? Peeta seemed the kind of person to care about feelings. But Prim didn't allow for any awkward moments. She took both of them by the hand and proceeded to swing between them and talk about her cat and goat and the nasty boy at school who liked to tug on her braids all the way home.

When they dropped off Prim, Mrs. Everdeen came out to give Katniss a list of medicinal herbs she was running low on. She seemed very surprised to see Katniss with Peeta.

"I assumed you were taking – someone else," she admitted.

Katniss shrugged. She would have taken Gale, but this week he was working with his brother Rory to build their young sister a new bed.

Never one to be rude, Mrs. Everdeen extended her hand to Peeta. "I'm sorry about your father. He was a good man."

Peeta took her hand and thanked her. "He was. And he always spoke very highly of you."

Katniss thought that was odd. Her mother had barely mentioned the man until after his death. She looked towards her mother to find her blushing.

"You two better be on your way. Try to be home before dark, Katniss."

* * *

><p>Peeta made sure they were out of earshot before he said, "You seemed surprised to hear my comment about my dad. Didn't you know my dad and your mom were sweethearts when they were younger?"<p>

No, Katniss certainly did not know, and she was sure her face betrayed her shock. Her parents had loved each other so much; she had never considered they might have ever held affection for someone else. But that helped explain those dirty looks Peeta's mother had given them at the funeral.

Peeta nodded. "On the first day of school, my father pointed you out. He told me that he wanted to marry your mother, but that she ran off with a coal miner instead." Peeta smiled; the memory obviously meant a great deal to him. "I didn't really believe him at first. Why would any girl choose to marry a coal miner over him? But he smiled and said, 'Because when he sings, even the birds stop to listen.'"

"That's true. About the birds." Katniss hadn't thought about it in years, but she remembered observing the birds fall silent listening to her father's singing. Afterwards, the mockingjays would always take up the last notes of his song and spread it throughout the forest. She imagined the baker telling this story to a five-year-old Peeta, and a wave of both affection and sadness swept through her. The baker had been a such good man; how different would Peeta's life be now if he were still alive?

Katniss cleared her throat. "Thank you. For telling me that story."

Peeta nodded and they were silent until they reached Katniss's favorite spot to get under the fence.

"There are obviously other places to get through, but this one is my favorite." She considering telling him that it was the spot her father always took her through – especially after Peeta's story about the birds – but the detail didn't seem consequential and she decided to keep her mouth shut. Something in the way Peeta looked at her made her think that maybe he understood its significance anyway.

She told Peeta that unless he had some specific questions, today they would collect her mother's herb and maybe focus on some of the more filling wild edibles, like mushrooms, ramp, and wild onions. She also made it a point to stop at every berry bush and point out if the berries were edible or not. Peeta was a diligent student, taking notes and making adjustments to the pictures in the notebook. Underneath his charcoal pencil, the drawings really came to life.

"Impressive," murmured Katniss as she watched him sketch the faint veins in the chanterelle perfectly. "Now I'm really glad I had Prim do the illustrations. I'd be embarrassed for you to see the scrawl I am forced to pass off as drawings."

Peeta smiled. "I'd much rather have your talents than my own."

"My talents?"

He noded. "I've eaten enough of your squirrels. They're always shot right through the eye."

That was true. She was a very good shot. Better than Gale even. And it was certainly a more useful skill than drawing.

"And of course there's your singing too."

Katniss frowned. Had he heard Prim's comment about the concert? "When have you ever heard me sing?"

Peeta blushed and seemed a bit taken back by her accusatory tone, but he responded immediately, "The first day of school. The same day my dad pointed you out to me. The music teacher asked if anyone knew the valley song, and you raised your hand. You were wearing a red plaid dress and your hair was in two braids instead of one. And you stood on a stool in front of the whole class and started singing. And I swear, every bird outside the window fell silent."

Katniss wanted to laugh. She wanted to dismiss him. But she did remember singing a song on the first day of school, although she didn't remember the song. And there had been a red plaid dress that she had handed down to Prim and which had been washed to rags after their father's death.

"It seems your memory is another one of your special skills."

He snorted. "If that were true, I'd have much better grades in school."

Katniss made a dismissive gesture.

"I've never cared too much about school. It's all about coal or the glory of the Capital or how horrible the Dark Days were. Who knows what's real when everything is fed to us by the Capital?"

Peeta gave her a contemplative look, and Katniss squeezed her lips tight.

That had been careless. Just making a statement like that could get her whipped if someone had the mind to report her. She was used to speaking her mind in the woods, around Gale, but she still didn't know Peeta well enough and she didn't quite trust him yet.

For the rest of the trip, they talked only about plants.


	7. Chapter 7

7

Peeta was missing from their lunch table. Katniss shared her lunch with Madge anyway; after all these weeks, she had learned to like their "tradition." She chewed her food carefully and tried not to think why Peeta might not be there.

"He wasn't in math class either," said Madge softly. It was the only thing either of them said that lunch period.

* * *

><p>He didn't come to class for two more days, and the rumors ran rampant. Some kids said that the boy was deathly ill. Others said he had run away from home. Most figured that his stepfather had just beaten him really badly this time; after all, Peeta may not have talked about it, but those bruises weren't really a secret.<p>

Katniss wanted so badly to check up on him, but she knew she wouldn't be welcome at his home and that any visit from her would only mean negative things for the boy. She wondered if she could possibly get Madge to agree to check up on him, but she didn't want to ask the girl for another favor. She still owed her for following her lead regarding Peeta and the lunch table in the first place.

Damn his townie friends for abandoning him. Damn his mother for letting this happen. And damn Peeta for making her care.

Angry and frustrated, Katniss decided she needed to shoot something. As soon as possible.

* * *

><p>She had taken down a rabbit and two squirrels when she came across the trail of a wounded animal. The trail looked big, and she hoped it was a deer. Deer were too big for most of Gale's snares, but the traps could cause one to break a leg and leave it in a vulnerable position. And one deer could feed several families for a week.<p>

But then she saw the partial boot print. And she knew it was no deer she was tracking.

By the time she found Peeta hiding under a bush, she had been shouting his name for several minutes.

He was badly beaten, covered in mud, and crumpled into a shivering ball, but when he saw her, he still smiled.

"I knew you'd find me. You just can't let me die, can you?"

"No, I can't. And don't forget that." She took out her handkerchief and tried to wipe some of the caked mud off of him, but he winced in pain and she was afraid to touch him again. There seemed to be no part of him that wasn't covered in a bruise or scratch or – damn it, were those burn marks? "Peeta, what happened?"

"He got mad that I was still around. Decided to take it out on my face. And then the rest of me. But this time I couldn't just take it; this time I finally hit him back. And so I was kicked out of the house."

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she knew he didn't need her pity. He needed her to be strong.

"We've got to talk to your mother. She needs to stick up for you. She needs to—"

"My mom was the one who kicked me out, Katniss."

Katniss swallowed the string of angry curses that threatened to burst forth from her mouth, but she couldn't stop herself from saying, "Your mother is an evil witch."

Peeta chuckled mirthlessly. "You'll get no arguments from me today."

She took another moment to assess his injuries. None of his cuts were still bleeding, so that was good, but he needed to be cleaned up and treated or he would come down with an infection. She offered him a drink from her flask of tea, and he accepted readily.

"When's the last time you drank anything?"

"Yesterday. I found a stream. That's also how I got so muddy. I slipped and fell in."

That meant he must have spent last night sleeping outside, cold and wet. Again, she silently cursed his parents.

"Can you walk?"

He could, but just barely, and only by leaning on Katniss heavily. His left leg had a nasty burn along the thigh and when he fell into the stream had had apparently twisted his left ankle.

He laughed. "I don't even know where we're going."

"I'm taking you to my mother. She's a Healer; she'll know what to do."

* * *

><p>Katniss sat on the back porch, whittling new arrows, while her mother and Prim attended to Peeta. She hadn't planned on leaving his side, but when they started to take off his clothes so they could clean his wounds, she knew had to get out of there.<p>

She had already made two new arrows and was well on her way to a third when her mother came out.

"He'll survive," her mother said in response to her daughter's immediate pleading look. "It looks like he has a couple broken ribs, a sprained ankle, and a concussion on top of some nasty cuts and bruises. And several burns that look like they were made with a fire iron. Two of the burns and some of the cuts look infected, but I put some ointment on them that should help."

"Can I see him?"

Her mother shook her head. "Not now. I gave him some sleep syrup and he's currently passed out on a cot in the living room."

Katniss nodded and her mother placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Can you tell me everything you know about how this happened?"

Katniss left nothing out. She told her mother about the evil witch and the foul-tempered stepfather and how Peeta started coming to school hungry and bruised. She told her about finding him in the woods about to eat nightlock berries, and how she and Prim copied out the edible foods section of their father's book in an attempt to keep him alive. She told her that Peeta's stepfather beat him – apparently with a fire iron – and that when he fought back, his mother kicked him out of the house. When she got to the part about how he survived for at least two days in the woods with no shelter and wet clothes, both of them were crying.

"I can't believe… Lewisia was never the most maternal of women, but still…" Mrs. Everdeen wiped her cheeks and shook her head. "I guess we'll need to contact the authorities in the morning."

Katniss jumped to her feet. "What? No."

"Katniss, we can't send him back to that situation. He'll need to be placed in a group home. There's no other choice."

"Yes. There is. He can stay here. He has to stay here."

"Katniss, you know that's not an option. The three of us sleep in one room as it is; there's simply no place for Peeta."

"He can sleep in the living room. Where he's sleeping now. We'll put away the cot during the day."

"Honey, it wouldn't be proper to have some teenaged boy staying with us. You–"

"Proper? Proper?" Katniss was screaming now, but she didn't care. "What's proper about turning him over to over to one of those homes? You _know_ what goes on in those homes; you've seen enough of those beaten, half-starved kids make their way to your doorstep, begging for help. We can't let that happen to Peeta. We can't."

Katniss knew she sounded crazy. She knew that if it were almost any other kid from their school lying on that cot, beaten and unconscious, that she'd be calling the authorities herself. There were harsh realities of living in 12, and violence and poverty were part of it. There was no way to escape it, no way to save everyone.

But this wasn't just anyone. This was the boy with the bread.

She wanted to tell her mother that Peeta had saved their lives, that she and Prim had been one step from being placed in a group home themselves and that Peeta, with one act of bravery and kindness, had prevented it. It was all on the tip of her tongue.

"Please let him stay, Mom."

"Prim! I told you to go to bed," cried Mrs. Everdeen, turning around to face her young daughter, who stepped out from behind the door. Prim had tears streaking down her face, and Katniss guessed she had been eavesdropping for some time.

"Peeta's special, Mom. Even before his dad died, he was always so nice to me. Whenever I'd stop by the bakery to drop off cheese for his dad, Peeta would give me a dab of icing to lick off my finger. And he's always smiling. Even now, even with all the—" Prim's words broke down as she was overcome with emotion, and Katniss leapt forward to envelop her in a hug.

"He's a good baker," insisted Katniss. "And he may thin now, but he's strong. When he's healed, he'll be able to help out around the house and cut firewood and such. He won't be a burden; he won't. He would never allow it."

Her mother looked torn. Katniss knew she was struggling with trying to balance what was best for her family with the fate of the poor boy currently passed out in her home.

"Please," Katniss whispered. "Please. Let him stay."

"Okay," her mother finally conceded. At the word, the tension in Katniss's body left in a rush. "For now, he can stay. At least until we find a more permanent solution."

Katniss nodded. Now she just needed to get Peeta to agree.


	8. Chapter 8

8

Katniss woke up very early in the morning and slipped downstairs. She was hoping to speak with Peeta before she and Prim left for school, but he was still sleeping and she couldn't justify waking him up, not when she knew how much pain he would be in.

So she simply sat by his cot and waited.

He had thrown off most of the thin blanket in the night, exposing much of his bare chest, which was littered with bruises and burns. Before his father died, Katniss remembered Peeta as being very strong; she had seen him easily toss around 100 pound bags of flour at the bakery and she thought he might have come in second in a school-wide wrestling contest. But right now his muscle tone looked soft and his rib cage was clearly visible.

She shouldn't be seeing this, Katniss reminded herself before averting her eyes and gently covering him back up with the blanket.

But she couldn't leave his side and she couldn't help her gaze from falling on him again. Just the sight of his chest rising and falling calmed her. It was proof that he was still alive, proof that her efforts hadn't been in vain.

He had such long eyelashes. She wondered how she had never noticed that before; maybe because they were so blond. Or because she had never examined him so closely before.

She realized that even with the cuts and bruises he wasn't bad looking. He didn't have Gale's chiseled cheek bones or square chin or crooked smile, but there was still a nice symmetry to his features. And with his blond curls and soft lips, he had a sweet look about him that Gale could never emulate.

Yes, Katniss chucked to herself, sweet wasn't really Gale's thing.

Her chuckle seemed to rouse Peeta. He stirred slightly and barely managed to open his eyes to take in Katniss sitting in front of him. He smiled and, much to Katniss's surprise, reached out to take her hand and nuzzle it to his cheek.

"I've always liked his dream," he murmured.

Katniss barely suppressed a laugh. Sleep syrup made people say the strangest things.

"Do you often dream about sleeping on a cot in my living room?"

Peeta frowned and reopened his eyes, seeming to take note of his surroundings for the first time. A look of absolute horror passed over him and he threw her hand back at her and tried to sit up. But sharp pain seemed to quickly put an end to his effort, as he cried out and fell back to the cot, panting.

"Easy! Easy, Peeta. My mother treated your injuries, but you've got some broken bones and bad burns that will take time to heal. You can't push yourself."

The events of yesterday seemed to come back to him, and he looked around the room in an attempt to find his bearings.

"Where are my clothes?"

Katniss blushed. "I don't know. I left when they started taking them off. Prim probably put them in the wash pile; they were pretty muddy."

Katniss looked around her home. Either her mother or Prim had apparently rinsed the clothes out in the sink and laid them out to dry on the chairs of the kitchen table. They still weren't clean by any means, but they were dry and Katniss thought Peeta might prefer dirty clothes over being practically naked in a house full of women.

"They still need to be washed," she warned as she threw the clothes onto Peeta's lap.

He nodded but still proceeded to dress gingerly. Katniss quickly turned her back to allow him some privacy. She could tell he was trying to be quiet, but he still couldn't help emitting a few gasps as his movements aggravated his injuries.

There was a pause in the sound of his rustling before he said in an amused voice, "You can turn around now, Katniss."

She stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to say, before her eye was caught by the light streaming through the window. She frowned. Prim would probably be getting up soon; she was running out of time for this conversation.

"Where will you go?" she asked bluntly.

Peeta shrugged. "Back to the woods, probably. Now that you've treated my injuries and taught me what plants I can eat, I'll be fine."

Katniss resisted the urge to roll her eyes. They both knew that was a lie.

"Stay here. You can stay here."

"That's sweet of you to offer, Katniss," he said sadly, even though Katniss was pretty sure it had sounded more like an order than an offer, "but I can't do that."

"You can and you will. You know as well as I do that you won't last longer than a week on your own. If you don't succumb to infection, exposure, or starvation, the Peacekeepers will find you. If they don't decide to execute you for trespassing, they'll whip you before turning you over to a group home."

"I appreciate everything you've done for me – really, I do – but Katniss, it isn't your job to keep me alive."

Katniss shook her head, refusing to acknowledge his dismissal.

"You can't go to one of those homes, Peeta. It could be worse than living with the blacksmith. I've already spoken to my mother about it, and she agreed. Prim too. We want you to stay here. There's not much room, but you can sleep here, on this cot. Between my hunting and foraging and Prim's goat, we'll have enough food. I don't know if you want to go back for your clothes, but if not—"

"Why are you doing this?" begged Peeta. He looked pained and confused. "Why are you trying so hard to save me?"

An image of two loaves of burnt bread flashed before her.

"You know why," she whispered.

"No, really, I don't," he laughed. "And my theories have gotten a little… fantastical as of late. So you need to just tell me. Honestly. Is it pity?"

"No! Peeta, no." She loathed to say the words out loud, but she couldn't let him think it was pity. "It's because I owe you. For the bread."

"The bread?" And a look of understanding, quickly followed by disbelief, passed over him. "The burnt bread? From when we were kids?"

She couldn't let him underestimate his action. "That bread saved my life. It saved my family's life."

"So all of it – the berries, the lunches, the book, the finding me in the woods and bringing me back here – that was all because you thought you owed me? For bread?" He laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "I think you've more than repaid whatever debt you thought you owed me. So you can just – leave me alone from here on out."

"It's more than just repaying a debt, Peeta. It's…" Katniss cursed her inability to explain, cursed the way the words tangled in her head. "You saw a girl starving in the street. A girl you had never spoken to. And instead of just minding your own business, like almost anyone else would have done, you went out of your way to help her. You took a _beating_ to give her some bread. And you never demanded anything in exchange for that help. You never said a word when she never thanked you."

"Katniss—" He was shaking his head, but she couldn't let him interrupt. Not when the words were finally coming together.

"What kind of a person would I be if I just stood by now? If just minded my own business and let you suffer or die? What kind of a person would I be if I didn't do everything in my power to help you?"

Her words were quiet – barely louder than a whisper – but her gaze was steady.

"Stay, Peeta. Promise you'll stay. Because I'm not above getting Primrose to ask you. And there's no way to say no to her without feeling like the worst person in the world."

Peeta managed a wry smile. He looked down at his dirty clothes and his bruised and battered arms.

"If I stay, I'll have to earn my keep somehow."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," replied Katniss seriously. She offered her hand, and when Peeta took it, his shake was all the promise Katniss required.

She offered up one of her rare smiles, and Peeta couldn't help but blush in response.

* * *

><p>"He's safe," she told Madge at lunch. "But he had to leave his home. He'll be staying with my family for a while."<p>

Katniss watched as a variety of emotions flickered over Madge's face. Pink spots blossomed on her cheeks and her eyes shined with unshed tears, but slowly her lips lifted into a slight smile.

"That's good," she said softly.

And they returned to eating their food silently.


	9. Chapter 9

9

If Katniss had hoped that Gale would take the news of Peeta moving in with her family as calmly as Madge had, she would have been sorely disappointed.

After she told him, he spent the first few minutes cursing under his breath and stomping around so loudly that he must have scared off all game within a half mile radius.

When he finally tempered his rage enough to look at her, he told her flatly, "This is the most foolish thing you've ever done, Katniss. Why on earth did your mom agree to this?"

Katniss raised her chin in defiance. She knew her family didn't have space. She knew it was already hard enough to keep her own family fed. She knew adding another person to the mix would be difficult, at best. But she had still hoped for a little support from her best friend.

"She agreed because he didn't have anywhere else to go, Gale. He would have ended up in a group home. Or dead."

"So? It's not like that doesn't happen to plenty of other kids each year. He's not your responsibility, Katniss. Why are you taking such an interest in this boy anyway?"

He gave her a suspicious look, and Katniss hoped he wasn't going to bring up those stupid rumors again.

"Peeta's a nice person. He's nice to Prim." Gale narrowed his eyes at her; he knew her well enough to know she was holding back. She sighed. Gale deserved more than half truths from her.

"And I owe him okay? He saved my life." She told him the story of the boy and the bread and how that one act of kindness had given her hope – how the bread had helped her remember all those trips beyond the fence with her father and how it wasn't long afterwards when she had stumbled across a 14-year-old Gale Hawthorne in the woods.

She could see understanding seep into Gale's eyes during her story. She knew he understood the concept of being in someone's debt.

"I still don't like it."

"You don't have to like it," she retorted. "Just – don't kill him or anything, okay?"

Gale snorted. "I'm not making any promises."

* * *

><p>Katniss went back and forth, her anger and bitterness weighing against her acknowledgment of familial bonds, but eventually she decided they should know. She sent Prim home with the Hawthorns and made her way to the bakery. She found the new baker behind the register. The man gave her a brief smile, which faded when she asked to speak with the Mellark boy for a few minutes.<p>

"Give me a second," he said, and he eyed her a little suspiciously, as if she might steal something when he went into the back.

But the eldest Mellark brother hurried out shortly thereafter. He seemed a little disappointed to see Katniss, but that disappointment gave way to cautious recognition.

"I know you; you're the girl with the squirrels."

She nodded. "Let's take a walk, Mellark. It won't take long."

She didn't take him far, just behind the pig pen, to the tree where Peeta had found her crumpled five years ago.

"How much do you know about Peeta's problems at home?" she asked bluntly.

Peeta's brother swallowed. "Enough, I think. He told me that our mother was – withholding food, using it as motivation to help find him an apprenticeship." Katniss hoped the surprise didn't show on her face. That's why his mother had starved him? Because she was hoping it would be "motivation" to get an apprenticeship? The witch had to have known that finding an apprenticeship at 16 would have been almost impossible; most apprenticeships weren't offered until the age of 18 and Peeta had no experience in anything but baking.

"I know he checked with every merchant in town and still couldn't find a place," his brother continued. "I tried to slip him some bread when I could, but I'm on eggshells with Franklin as it is." He swallowed. "And… he didn't say anything, but I saw the bruises. Oates came by yesterday; he said Peeta's been missing from school for days. My mom won't tell me anything."

Katniss nodded. Of course Peeta wouldn't have said anything about being beaten on a regular basis. Of course he wouldn't have gone to his older brothers for help. If the Capitol gave out awards for being a martyr, Peeta would win several.

"The blacksmith apparently wasn't happy that Peeta was still around," she said flatly. "He apparently expressed his displeasure with a fire iron. Repeatedly." Peeta's older brother curled his hands into fists, but it didn't stop her from continuing. "A few days ago, he broke Peeta's ribs and gave him some nasty burns before Peeta finally hit him back. And that's when your mom kicked him out of the house."

Crack! Peeta's brother punched the post of the pig pen and the force of the hit forced a split in the grayed wood. Katniss's eyes widened. How did these baker boys get so strong?

"Breaking your hand isn't going to help him."

The boy scowled at her. Although his knuckles were bloodied, his bones still seemed to be whole – unless he was very good at fighting through pain. Maybe that was another Mellark boy skill.

"Do you know where he is? Is he okay?"

Katniss nodded. "He was on his own for a few days, but I found him and brought him home. My mother is a healer. He's going to stay with us for a while."

The boy couldn't hide his astonishment. "With you? Do you–? I mean, I didn't know you were… I had heard something about him and the mayor's daughter, but–"

"We're just friends," she said quickly, hoping to avoid any misunderstandings. "Peeta's a really nice person. He just… he deserved to have someone look out for him."

The boy recoiled as if she had slapped him. Shame warred with gratitude on his face. Katniss supposed if a stranger had swooped in and saved Prim when she couldn't, she might look the same.

"Thank you," he managed in a hoarse voice. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Her immediate instinct was to say no; she could and would take care of Peeta all by herself. But she paused and considered the question.

"When your mom kicked him out, he left with just the clothes on his back. Maybe you and your brother could pick up his stuff and bring it to him? Assuming, of course, that your mother hasn't burned or sold it all yet."

Peeta's brother smiled darkly. "I think that's a great idea. In any case, I think Oates and I are long overdue in paying our new stepfather a visit."

Katniss nodded. She understood him perfectly.

"Um, I guess if my brother's going to be staying with you, I should probably call you something besides 'The Girl with the Squirrels.'"

She offered him her hand.

"Katniss. Katniss Everdeen."

The name seemed to ring a bell with the boy and he rewarded her with a bright smile as she took her hand.

"Rye Mellark. I guess my brother and I will stop by later, Katniss."

Katniss nodded. "We're in cabin 314. You can ask around. As I said, my mom's a healer; everyone in the Seam knows where we live."

If Rye was disturbed by the idea of his little brother living in the Seam, he didn't let it show.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks to those who have left motivating reviews.**


	10. Chapter 10

10

In the dark blue light of early dawn, Katniss slipped downstairs, careful not to wake Peeta. The boy was sprawled across the small cot. His blanket was twisted around his legs, and his arms were hanging off the edge. He muttered something in his sleep, and she barely suppressed a smile as she slipped out the front door.

As she walked, she reflected with satisfaction how Peeta had improved over the last few days. The pink swelling in his infected cuts and burns had almost completely receded, and his bruises had faded from deep purple to pinkish brown. Although his other injuries would take longer to heal, he kept trying to get up and help with chores, and it was only Prim's stern orders to keep off his ankle that kept him reluctantly immobile.

When she reached her destination, Katniss down on the back porch and waited. It was only a couple of minutes before Gale opened the backdoor and spied her.

"I don't remember making any plans to meet up with you this morning, Catnip," he said flatly, but he couldn't keep his lips from curling upwards into a smile.

Katniss shrugged. "The weather is supposed to be warm today. I didn't think you'd pass up an extra hunting day." She didn't say that she hoped he wouldn't mind if his hunting partner tagged along, even if he was still mad at her. She didn't mention that although she didn't regret her decision, she knew he had her best interests at heart, and she was trying to show him that he was still her best friend.

She didn't have to.

"Well, come on, then." They walked in silence until after they had climbed under the fence and retrieved their bows.

"I was thinking maybe we could hike out to the lake," he offered casually.

The lake was several miles away, so they didn't often make it the trip. Katniss's father had discovered it, and she had never brought anyone but Gale there. It was where she had taught Gale to swim and where Gale had showed her some of his best snares. It was where she had realized for the first time that the suspicious, sullen boy who had reluctantly traded hunting knowledge for a bow had become her friend. It was her favorite place in the world.

Katniss nodded, unable to keep her own smile off her face, and they set out.

The hike was long and even though they had left early in the morning, they were quite warm by the time they reached the lake.

"Last one in is a Capitol stooge!" called Katniss, breaking out into a sprint when the lake came into view.

Gale was right on her heels, and both of them laughed as they tripped and tumbled while trying to strip off down to their undergarments. Katniss was a good sprinter and had taken a head start, but Gale had taken off his clothes faster and he managed to jump in the water just before Katniss.

"Stooge," he taunted, after they both had surface for air.

"You wouldn't have won if I hadn't been wearing so many clothes."

He wiggled his eyebrows. "Next time wear less clothes, and maybe you won't be such a sore loser." She flicked water in his face, and he moved to dunk her but she laughed and evaded him.

They spent the next half an hour laughing and splashing, before the water turned from refreshing to cold.

Katniss noticed she had started shivering. "I'm going to get out and dig up some cattails and katniss tubers before my lips turn blue," she sighed.

"Too late for that, Catnip." Gale watched as the girl rose dripping from the cold water.

"Aren't you coming out too?"

Gale's cheeks took on a pink tone and he turned away from her. "Yeah, soon. I'm going to check out some good places to set up some fishing lines."

Katniss shrugged. She wasn't sure how much luck they'd have fishing after they scared off all the fish with their splashing, but she supposed it wouldn't hurt to try.

She gathered up plants while, true to his word, Gale set up some fishing lines and even made a fire to roast one of the rabbits they had caught on the way to the lake. They sat down to enjoy their lunch while they finished drying off by the fire.

Katniss thought she saw Gale's eyes drifting to her ribs more than once, and she fought the urge to put on her clothes before she was completely dry. There was no reason to hide her thin frame from Gale. She knew wasn't as skinny as she had been when they first met, and even if she was unattractively thin, she knew Gale understood hunger. She knew he wouldn't judge.

"I was thinking tomorrow I might bring my family over after hunting," said Gale. "We can make dinner together. Afterwards, maybe Rory could play something on his fiddle."

Katniss gave Gale a look out of the corner of his eye. The Hawthorne and Everdeen families usually got together at least once a month to share a meal and some entertainment. It was always a good time, but she was a little worried how Peeta would fit into that mix.

As if Gale could read her mind, he offered, "It'll be our chance to welcome Peeta to the Seam."

Katniss recognized an edge to his words – a reminder that Peeta did not come from the Seam and did not belong there – but it was also his acknowledgement that Peeta was now part of their lives. She was touched by his effort, and, with a nod and smile, she reached out to squeeze his shoulder. He put his hand over hers and squeezed back.

* * *

><p>When Katniss returned home after trading in the Hob and town, she found both older Mellark brothers sitting on the living room table next to Peeta and Prim. They had been laughing, but when Katniss walked in, they fell silent, and the older boys stood in polite greeting when she placed a kiss on Prim's head.<p>

"Katniss," said Peeta with an easy smile, "let me introduce you to my brothers. This is Rye."

"We've met," said Rye with a smile, and Katniss nodded and shook his hand.

"And this is Oates." The middle Mellark brother was a few inches taller and a little thinner than Rye, although he sported the blond hair and broad shoulders that seemed to be a family trait. He also offered Katniss a handshake, although she noticed he didn't offer up the toothy smile that both of his brothers had.

That was okay; smiling was overrated.

"Were you able to pick up Peeta's things?" she asked. Rye gestured over to the fireplace hearth, where two cardboard boxes lay. "So I guess she didn't burn his possessions in revenge then, huh?"

All three boys grimaced.

"Actually," corrected Rye, "a good amount of his stuff _was_ destroyed. We were able to salvage some things, but not too much. But Oates and I went through our stuff and managed to find some clothes for Peeta. Don't worry," he said with a wink and a playful nudge from his elbow, "he won't have to walk around naked. Unless you want him to, of course."

Katniss and Peeta turned bright red, and Oates scowled and rolled his eyes.

"I need to finish cleaning this game," she said, holding up her bloody game bag. "I'll talk to you guys later."

Katniss removed herself to the back porch where she took out her knife and proceeded to skin and gut her kills. Prim joined her after a little while and explained that their mother had been called away to attend a birth.

"Peeta's brothers seem nice," Prim offered. "Rye especially. Oates is a little quiet."

Katniss grunted in reply.

Prim paused a little before continuing. "I think they may have been a little surprised to find Peeta on a cot in the living room. I guess they assumed he'd have his own room somewhere."

Katniss frowned. There wasn't room anywhere else. If they wanted something better for their brother, they should have made it happen themselves.

"But Peeta was very clear that he was happy to be here. And he insisted he would start earning his keep soon."

Katniss wasn't sure how Peeta would manage that, although she was sure he'd do everything in his power to contribute to the household. She would have to continue his foraging lessons in the woods. Maybe she could teach him to hunt too. It would have to be more successful than when she tried to teach Prim; her sister wanted to heal every animal they shot.

And thinking of the woods made her remember Gale's idea. Katniss cleared her throat.

"The Hawthornes are going to come over tomorrow for dinner. Gale said Rory would be bringing his fiddle. It's kind of a welcome party for Peeta."

Prim clasped her hands and squealed. She loved Rory's music, and sometimes Katniss feared her little sister might have something of a crush on the 14 year old with the Hawthorne good looks.

"Maybe Rory and I can do some duets! Can I go over to the Hawthornes now to practice? I promise to be back by dark."

Katniss nodded and watched Prim scurry off with a smile. She went back to cleaning her game, and was almost done when she heard voices being raised within the home.

"First the cot and now this? You've got to be kidding me!"

The backdoor slammed, and Oates stormed onto the porch. His angry looked slipped temporarily into surprise when he saw Katniss.

"Sorry," he said, irate frown back in place. "I forgot you were out here." He laughed: a short and bitter bark. "I guess there's not much space here, is there?"

Katniss's temper flared.

"I guess here in the Seam we're too poor to have temper tantrums." His frown twisted into an expression of surprise and guilt, but she didn't stop to let him speak. "I know you're probably upset about Peeta's current living conditions. What we have may not be much, but it's a hell of a lot better than living out in the woods or in a group home. We're going to take care of Peeta, and that's more than I can say your family has done."

A dark look crossed Oates's face and his body tensed. He stalked closer to Katniss until he was only inches from her face, and she wondered if she had gone too far. Still, she stood her ground and refused to look anywhere but into his narrowed eyes.

"You don't think I know that?" he hissed. "You don't think it kills me that my brother is bruised and broken and spending his nights on a cot in the middle of a shabby living room? Because our own mother starved him and allowed him to be beaten and burned before throwing him out of the house? That he's only alive because some kid from the _Seam_ took pity on him? And his own brothers weren't able to do anything for him because they don't have homes of their own?" Oates looked like he was about ready to tear someone to pieces. It made her wonder how their stepfather had fared during the boys' visit.

"This whole situation is crap," he spat. "Peeta doesn't deserve this."

"It is. And you're right," said Katniss steadily. "And I know you and your brother would change things if you could. Maybe someday you'll be able to do more. But right now my family _can_ help Peeta, and we're going to, however we're able."

Oates searched her face for something, and she couldn't tell if he found it or not. Eventually, he snorted and stepped away, shaking his head.

"I guess I see the attraction," he mumbled, and Katniss wondered if he was assuming she was helping Peeta because she was attracted to him. She was tired of all these assumptions. She opened her mouth to correct him, but his next words surprised the retort out of her.

"What does Hawthorne think of this whole situation?"

Gale? "Why does that matter?" she wondered honestly.

Oates crossed his arms in front of him. "Because I want to know if I need to worry about Hawthorne hunting down my little brother and killing him."

She supposed it might be a valid concern. "Gale hasn't been very... excited about Peeta staying with us. He just worries about me." She smiled wryly. "But I did specifically ask him to leave Peeta alive."

"And what he'd say?"

She blushed and before she could make up a reassuring response, Oates groaned.

"Oh, hell, my brother is going to get himself killed yet."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Some people have been begging for more Peeta/Katniss scenes. I promise they are on their way - in fact, they'll be a few nice ones coming up soon - but be forewarned that this story is more of a slow burn. Katniss is not going to magically wake up one day and realize that she's in love with Peeta; her feelings will develop a lot more gradually.**

**But, for those of you looking for a bit more romance, I can provide some Peeta POV scenes that might appease you. I'll probably hold off on publishing these until there are more people following the story. So spread the word if you're interested. ;)**


	11. Chapter 11

11

**A/N: A quick correction: In the last chapter you may have read that Rory played the pipe. The pipe is a common instrument in Irish music, which was one of the predecessors to Appalachian music, so I assumed that it would also be common in Appalachian music. It turns out that was a bad assumption, as Appalachian music was mostly string-based. So after doing a little more reading on the subject, I had to go back and change that to the fiddle.**

**Also, this chapter is MUCH longer than previous chapters. It just wouldn't end and it didn't feel right to cut it short. So sorry about that.**

* * *

><p>On Sunday Gale managed to snare two woodchucks, she brought down two squirrels and a rabbit, and together the partners managed to bring down a large badger. Gale had come across his burrow and he smoked the badger out, while Katniss stood at the ready with her bow. The fierce creature weighed almost 20 pounds, and his silvery coat (unblemished by any arrows, since Katniss's shot had been right through the eye) would make a good trade after it had been dried and treated. But at that moment it was a bit musky. Maybe a lot musky.<p>

Katniss had promised her mother she would never clean a badger at home again; the last time it took three days to get the stink out the house.

So while Gale promised to meet up with her that evening with the rest of the Hawthornes and took the rest of their kills to town to trade, Katniss butchered the badger at the edge of the fence. She reflected with satisfaction that, seasoned with a little bit of thyme, wild onion, and garlic, this one kill would make a great meal for both families tonight. She treated the hide with the salt that she and Gale carried for that very reason, and laid it to dry on the branch of a tree. Then she took the bones to the Hob.

As she hoped, Greasy Sae gave her a few coins for the bones; they would make great soup. But the old woman encouraged her not to dawdle at her stall.

"You're scaring away customers with that reek, girl. Better hurry home and wash up now," the old woman had directed.

She arrived home, smiling and raising her game bag in triumph, but her family and Peeta had looked far more appalled than grateful.

Her mother took her game bag but quickly ordered Katniss out to the back porch. "Take off those clothes and wash up out there first. After that, you can come back inside and take a bath."

Katniss grumbled but obeyed. The last thing she wanted to do was stink up the house before the Hawthornes came over. Prim was sweet enough to bring her the black tar soap and a towel.

"Did you roll around in the badger after you killed it?" Prim teased.

"Ha ha," replied Katniss sarcastically. "Why don't you keep the comments to yourself and hose me down?"

The water was cold, but Katniss repressed the surprised squeal that naturally threatened to escape her lips. She glared at her younger sister, who couldn't quite keep a smile off her face as Katniss soaped up under the stream of water.

When she was well-rinsed, Prim sniffed her again. She recoiled and gingerly picked up her sister's discarded clothing.

"I'll air out these clothes and wash them tomorrow. _You_ still need to wash up inside. Be sure to scrub your hands and arms. And use Mother's lavender salts!"

Katniss grumbled, but made her way inside. She saw her mother spicing and grinding the badger meat while Peeta perched on a stool in the kitchen, working on some loaves of bread. He began talking without looking up.

"Good timing, Prim. Could you help me place these in the oven?"

"Prim's still outside. But I can help."

At the sound of her voice, Peeta looked up with a start and his eyes grew wide. Katniss shifted her weight from foot to foot. She was wet and wearing only her undergarments, but the large towel she had wrapped around herself covered everything but her arms and legs below the mid-thigh. If Peeta was going to live with them, they both needed to be less squeamish about bare arms and legs. Keeping her chin high, she took his loaves and placed them in the oven.

"Anything else?" she asked, looking him in the eye.

Peeta blushed but returned her steady look. "Th-thanks. No, that's it for now. We just need to check the bread in another hour or so."

"Okay, then. I'm going to try to scrub this stink off before the Hawthornes arrive."

Peeta smirked. "Better scrub long and hard, Katniss. I don't think even Gale would want to sit next to you if you still smelled like that."

Mrs. Everdeen tried to cover up her laugh with a cough.

* * *

><p>The Hawthornes arrived with all the subtlety of an angry boar. Rory was yelling and chasing Vick, who waved his brother's fiddle case in the air tauntingly. Posy was squealing for Prim. Mrs. Hawthorne was calling out to the boys and attempting to avoid knocking things down with her large basket of greens and vegetables.<p>

Only Gale appeared calm, his eyes seeking out first Peeta, whom he granted a polite nod, and then Katniss, who was sitting at the kitchen table, braiding her still damp hair. When he found her, he smiled and approached. He leaned in, his cheek almost against hers, and Katniss fought the instinct to pull away. But instead of kissing her on the cheek or whispering in her ear, he sniffed and pulled away.

"Seems like you washed all the badger musk out, Catnip," he murmured and pulled on her braid.

"Well, it wasn't without effort," she replied with a frown. She noticed Peeta's eyes on her, and she narrowed her eyes at him as he smiled down at his hands.

Gale then turned to Peeta and offered him a handshake.

"I just wanted to extend a big 'welcome to the Seam' from all the Hawthornes."

"Thanks, Gale," responded Peeta cautiously, but he shook Gale's hand with a smile.

Katniss nodded happily. She wasn't quite sure how Gale would behave around Peeta, and she didn't know if Peeta would fit in with the Hawthornes. These get-togethers were bright spots in their often bleak existence, and she hoped they could continue unimpeded by awkwardness.

But Gale wasn't the only Hawthorne who had discovered Peeta. Posy peeked at Peeta from behind Prim's legs. "Who are you?"

"My name's Peeta," he responded with soft smile.

"He's a very nice boy," whispered Prim. Posy nodded; Prim's word would always be good enough for her.

Mrs. Hawthorne approached the boy with a smile. "You must be Peeta. I heard you're going to be staying with the Everdeens for a while."

"Yes, ma'am," Peeta responded nervously.

"Please, call me Hazelle. You bake, right? Come help us in the kitchen."

As the four of them made their way to the kitchen to help Mrs. Everdeen with the meal, Katniss joined the male Hawthornes in the living room. Vick simply offered her a friendly nod, but Rory threw himself at the girl.

"Katniss! So nice to see you again," he cried and wrapped his arms around her, careful to bring their chests together in a tight hug. Katniss cringed and pushed the boy away firmly.

"Keep your hands to yourself, Rory," she growled. Undeterred, the 14 year old smiled and winked at her.

Gale hit Rory on the top of his head. "Behave," the older brother warned in a low tone.

"Always," Rory said, punctuating the word with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Katniss rolled her eyes. Ever since the boy had surpassed her in height, he had become an insufferable flirt. He was obviously going to be a heartbreaker, and she hoped Prim wouldn't fall prey to his charms.

Katniss asked how Posy's new bed had turned out. The boys discussed the unexpected problems and comical injuries they had encountered in its construction. She smiled and nodded and filed some of the information away for later. Eventually, Peeta would need a real bed. She thought it very possible that Oates could help, since he was apprenticed to a carpenter and would probably be eager to assist Peeta, but she really disliked the middle Mellark brother. She'd much prefer it if she could do it on her own.

Gale was well into his explanation of how they had acquired the requisite amount of down for Posy's new mattress when Mrs. Everdeen called them into kitchen to fix a plate for dinner. The ground badger had been spiced and fried into burger patties and topped with goat cheese and fresh greens. Dandelion tea, a salad, boiled tubers, and Peeta's fresh bread finished out the meal.

Everyone was quick to complement the cooks.

"The badger burgers taste great! Totally worth Katniss stinking up the Hob."

"Love this tea!"

"This bread is so yummy, Peeta."

"Yeah," said Gale loudly. "I've never quite had tesserae grain taste so good."

"Tesserae grain?" choked Peeta. He looked down at his half eaten burger as if he learned he had just eaten a baby.

"Of course. This isn't a bakery. Where do you think our grain comes from?"

The families were silent as Peeta struggled to absorb the truth. To them, the tesserae were a sad reality they had long ago accepted.

"And you did a great job making it delicious," said Prim softly, patting Peeta's hand. Then, unceremoniously, she turned to Rory. "Any new songs for us tonight, Rory?"

Rory launched into a story about some new songs he had surprisingly picked up from the old Goat Man, and Katniss sent her younger sister a grateful look.

"Hey, Peeta," said Gale jovially. "Has Katniss ever told you about the time that she took on a black bear over some honey?"

"No," he replied, drawing out the word and sneaking a peek at Katniss's face.

She blushed. "Well, it wasn't exactly on purpose."

Gale proceeded to tell that story and then segue into several other funny stories: how she had acquired her nickname, the time they had shot a deer and used the proceeds to buy Prim's goat, the time they had been chased up a tree by a pack of wild dogs, and even how he had almost drowned when she tried to teach him to swim the first time.

Katniss was at first delighted by Gale's efforts to converse with Peeta, but she noticed a slightly strained expression take root on Peeta's face and realized that the stories were very exclusionary. Maybe they weren't doing such a great job at making him feel comfortable.

"Well, it looks like everyone is done with dinner. Ready for a little music?" she asked.

Katniss and Vick cleared the dirty dishes while the others moved the little furniture that existed to the corner edges of the living room floor.

Rory picked up his fiddle and winked at Katniss in what he probably thought was a suave manner. "I can't wait to see you dance again, Katniss."

"Dancing? Katniss? Really?" exclaimed Peeta, blushing when the attention of the room turned to him. "I never took you for a dancer. I don't think I ever saw you at any of the school dances."

Gale and Katniss snorted in synch. The school-sponsored dances were organized for key Capitol holidays, and attending students dressed up in their finest, listened to the latest songs from the Capitol, and performed the choreographed dances they learned in gym class. Katniss would rather poke her left eye out with a knitting needle than attend one.

"Those are Merchy events," sneered Gale. "The only Seam kids that ever attend do so for the free food."

And it was true, but Katniss still elbowed him. Gale responded with an innocent shrug as if daring her to say something. Instead, she held her hand out to her sister.

"Come on, Prim; let's show Peeta what _real_ dancing looks like," she said with a wink.

She and Prim were actually very good dance partners. Their mother had taught them many dances, and there had been plenty of nights where practice had been the only entertainment available. All their stomps and heel kicks and spins were done with coordinated flair.

It was a great night. Rory's fiddle skills were really quite fine, and he played so fast that the dancers were challenged to keep up with the tempo. His skill that was all the more remarkable because the boy had taught himself to play on his late father's instrument. The fiddle was an heirloom, worn but still valuable, and Katniss knew that if sold, it could probably feed the Hawthorne family for two weeks, but, to Mrs. Hawthorne's credit, she could never agree to part with something that her husband had loved so passionately.

Vick and Posy danced every dance, with less skill but no less joy than anyone else. Gale often chose to sit out most dances, but today he kicked his heels up to virtually every song, partnering with Posy or Prim or Katniss or even occasionally with his mother or Mrs. Everdeen.

Peeta sat at the edge of the room and simply tapped his foot to the music. Katniss caught his eyes on her more than once. She wished his injuries would allow him to join in some of the dances, but she knew that just standing for extended periods of time was still challenging. Dancing would likely be extremely painful with broken ribs. But he didn't seem unhappy. He looked a bit nervous occasionally but mostly just… wistful.

When Rory took a break, she sidled up to the boy with the bread.

"I'm sorry you have to sit on the sidelines tonight. If you're up for it, Peeta, when you're feeling better, Prim and I can teach you some of these dances."

Peeta smiled but his eyes flew nervously to something behind Katniss before meeting hers again. "I'd like that. But don't think I'm not enjoying myself now. Rory's really talented. And your dancing – the whole group's dancing – well, it's quite a show."

If Gale had spoken those same words, Katniss would have assumed it to be a backhanded insult, but Peeta's face showed only sincerity.

She smiled at him and, for once, instead of blushing, he smiled back.

A sudden bump from the side almost knocked Peeta off his stool. Katniss cringed; it hadn't been a hard hit, but she knew his ribs were probably killing him.

"I'm so sorry!" exclaimed Posy. "I think my brother swung me a bit wide." Gale stood next to his sister with a concerned expression on his face - concern that didn't quite make his eyes.

"No problem," wheezed Peeta.

"Okay! Break time's over!" called Rory. "Prim, are you ready for that duet?"

Primrose clapped her hands gleefully and bounded over to the hearth where Rory had taken up residence. Exchanging nods, he drew his bow and she began to sing about a woman who leaves her husband and baby to run away with her first love, a sailor, only to have their ship sink close to shore. It was an old story, but so sweetly sung by Prim that Katniss felt herself feeling more sympathy for the woman than she ever had before. Which honestly still wasn't much.

She realized Gale was standing in front of her, offering her his hand. "Come on, Catnip. Don't let your sister's song go to waste. Let's dance."

The song was soft and slow and not something that she'd usually dance to, but Gale was a strong dance partner and she trusted he could lead her through it. She nodded and placed her hand in his.

During the dance, when Gale expertly turned her about the room, Katniss reflected upon their friendship. When they had first met, their relationship was based on need and suspicion and every trade between them had been haggled upon. Over a year had passed before they began to trust each other, and it took longer still to really like each other. And now, almost five years later, they were best friends and their families were practically one.

It made her wonder how her friendship with Peeta would progress. Because she could call him a friend now, right?

Gale drew Katniss close and spun her around just as Prim and Rory finished their duet.

"Beautiful," Gale said softly, slowly releasing his dance partner from his firm hold.

"Yes, I agree," said Katniss with a smile. "Prim and Rory, that was absolutely lovely. Thank you."

Prim blushed, and she smiled triumphantly at Rory before turning back to her sister.

"You can thank us by taking a turn yourself, Katniss. Please sing for us."

Katniss couldn't help but remember her conversation with Peeta about singing and her eyes sought out the boy for a split second. He was frowning at the ground. She was already shaking her head to decline when she heard Gale snort.

"Katniss doesn't sing. I've known her since she was 12, and I've never heard her sing a note. She probably has about as much musical ability as I do. And I sound like a dying swan."

"Only on your good days, brother," snickered Rory, right before Gale mussed his hair.

Katniss frowned. Just because she didn't sing, did not mean that she _couldn't_. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but Peeta beat her to it.

"Katniss has the most beautiful voice I've ever heard," spoke Peeta. His voice was low but clear, and he looked Gale square in the face as he said it.

A strange moment – seemingly too serious for the subject matter – passed between the two boys, and Katniss tried to speak up before things became too awkward.

"It doesn't really matter. I don't really know many songs. None of them are really dancing material."

Gale turned to Katniss, his face serious. "But you can sing then?"

Katniss ignored the accusatory edge to his voice. "I think I can at least beat dying swan," she teased and offered him a playful smile.

But Gale didn't smile back. "Prove it."

She still did not wish to sing, but she wouldn't back down from a challenge. And Gale knew that. She narrowed her eyes and shrugged.

"Fine then. There's… there's a song my father used to sing sometimes. I guess I could sing that."

She cleared her throat and began:

"Roses love sunshine, violets love dew.

Angels in heaven know I love you.

Know I love you, love, know I love you,

Angels in heaven know I love you.

If you don't love me, love whom you please.

Throw your arms round me, give my heart ease.

Give my heart ease, love, give my heart ease,

Throw your arms round me, give my heart ease.

Build me a castle, forty feet high,

So I can see her as she rides by.

As she rides by, love, as she rides by,

So I can see her as she rides by.

Write me a letter, send it by mail,

Send it in care of the Capitol jail.

Capitol jail, love, Capitol jail,

Send it in care of the Capitol jail.

Down in the valley, valley so low,

Hang your head over, hear the wind blow.

Hear the wind blow, love, hear the wind blow,

Hang your head over, hear the wind blow."

Katniss kept her eyes on Prim as she sang and was rewarded with a look of real joy on her sister's face. That joy helped counteract the sad nostalgia that swelled inside her as she remembered her father singing those very words to her mother, how he used to wrap his arms around her and sway her to the rhythm of the words, how her mother used to pretend to struggle against his embrace when really she was snuggling further into his arms, and how once upon a time Katniss used to feel safe and secure.

When she finished, the room was silent. Her mother had tears streaming down her cheeks. Prim looked proud. Peeta looked touched and perhaps a little sad. Everyone else seemed stunned.

Rory was the first to find his voice. "Wow. Katniss, that was great. Much better than a dying swan." Everyone but Gale laughed and Rory continued slyly, "Maybe _we_ could work on a duet sometime."

Gale scowled and moved suddenly to the back door.

Katniss shook her head as she responded to Rory, careful to maintain a playful tone, but her eyes followed her best friend's exit. "As far as music goes, I'm going to have to defer to Prim. Singing is not something I really like to do." And before anyone could question her further, she made a quick excuse and followed Gale out back.

She found him leaning on the back porch, his whole body rigid with tension. She approached him as if he were a wounded animal and stood quietly beside him. It wasn't a comfortable silence; as it stretched into minutes, Katniss felt increasing pressure to provide Gale with some sort of explanation, how this boy, whom she had only begun talking to a few months ago, had known something about her that even her best friend had been ignorant of.

"You were kind of right. I _don't_ sing. Before tonight, the last time I sang was right before the last reaping when Prim had a bad nightmare and needed a lullaby to fall asleep. And I haven't sung for anyone besides Prim since before my father died."

"_He_ knew you could sing."

She shrugged. "He heard me sing in music class once."

"And when was this?"

Katniss squirmed. "On the first day of school. We were five."

Gale laughed bitterly. "That's some memory."

Katniss just nodded. She didn't quite understand Gale's reaction, but she knew that the night hadn't gone quite as either of them had hoped.

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><p><strong>AN 2: Thanks so much for the encouraging reviews and to all those people who have put this story on story alert or made it a favorite. Your support really is motivating! I think the next chapter should come more quickly than this one did.**


	12. Chapter 12

12

With Peeta's ankle and leg healed enough that he could walk on his own, Mrs. Everdeen cleared him to return to school. He wouldn't be able to participate in gym until his ribs had healed, but he was well enough to attend the rest of his classes.

Katniss assumed that Peeta would be happy to leave the house – he had already begun some repairs in and around the home and had eagerly accompanied her on a trip to the woods to gather mushrooms and roots – but he seemed uncharacteristically indifferent about school.

Katniss had brought his schoolwork home to him and he had worked through it diligently, so he was pretty much caught up. (Bringing Peeta his homework had been Madge's idea. Katniss was sure to mention this to Peeta, just in case there was a potential romance brewing there.) She was sure his apparent reluctance wasn't about the drudgery of classes but rather the social aspect of school. Was he embarrassed at being disowned by his mother? Was he worried about being labeled a kid from the Seam? Was he worried about what people would say when they discovered he was living with her?

She wasn't sure if he wanted to walk into school with them, but Primrose didn't give him a choice. She held his hand as they walked to school and explained where they would meet up walk home after classes were over. To Peeta's credit, he seemed only pleased by Prim's attentions.

The whispers were evident from the beginning and had probably started as soon as Peeta came into view of the schoolyard. Katniss wanted to tell him to ignore them, that they weren't important, but her words seemed unnecessary; Peeta didn't give the gossipers a second look and he walked off to his first class with his head held high.

Katniss rebuked herself for not giving the boy enough credit. Whatever Peeta had been worried about, she knew he had the strength to face their classmates head on. Perhaps the old Peeta, the merchant boy who lived contentedly in the bakery and had never spoken a word to her, wouldn't have had the fortitude to withstand the whispers and snide remarks, but this new Peeta, whose resolve and resourcefulness had brought him through terrible emotional and physical trials, could never be brought down by words. Peeta was a survivor.

It was something they had in common.

At lunch, Madge greeted Peeta and sincerely welcomed him back to school. Peeta smiled and thanked her, stealing a glance at Katniss when he said he was grateful to be back. Katniss figured that his gratitude stemmed mostly from being alive and able to come back, and she smothered a satisfied grin.

Before they could split up their lunches, their threesome was interrupted by a visitor.

"Can I join you guys for lunch today?" asked Delly Cartwright, shyly twirling one of her blond curls around her finger. "You always seem to have such nice items to share, and today I brought fresh pears."

Delly was the daughter of the shoemaker and always had smiles for everyone, including Katniss, who sometimes wondered if the girl qualified as being _too_ nice. But, friendly as she was, she had never once joined Madge and Katniss for lunch; Madge and Katniss had been sitting together since they were 13 and, besides Peeta, no one had ever joined their table.

The two girls were shocked into silence by her question, and so it fell to Peeta to tell Delly that of course she could join them.

Delly smiled obliviously and plopped down into the chair next to Peeta.

"It's nice to see you back in school, Peet. Everyone was real worried about you. Ooh, that looks good," she said, eying the rolls that he pulled from his bag.

Katniss wondered if perhaps her visit _was_ primarily motivated by food; certainly Delly was one of the few girls in District 12 who had a few pounds to spare.

"They're cheese buns," replied Peeta, deflecting her comment about his absence from school. "I thought I'd make them as a 'first day back to school' treat. Primrose helped me bake them last night."

"I bet they'll taste great with the pears and these strawberries Madge brought." She smiled at Madge, and the girl managed a weak smile in response.

"Hey, Primrose is your little sister, right, Katniss?" Katniss responded to Delly's question with a stiff nod. "So I guess the rumors are true? You're living with the Everdeens?"

Peeta cleared his throat. "Yeah, I had some issues with my stepfather, and I needed to move out—"

"He's apprenticing with my mother now," interrupted Katniss. She wasn't sure why she lied. Well, it didn't have to be a lie exactly; Peeta might as well learn something about healing while he lived with them. She frowned and looked down at her food.

Delly didn't seem to notice her reaction.

"Hey, that's really great, Peeta," she replied excitedly. "Maybe you can work in the apothecary one day."

"It's definitely something to consider," said Peeta smoothly. "So how are the cheese buns?"

"Amazing," gushed Delly. She hadn't even bothered to swallow completely before responding.

"They really are delicious," chimed in Madge. She had a thoughtful look on her face as she chewed.

The rest of lunch was spent listening to Delly tell Peeta about all the news he had missed when he was out. Their art teacher – their _married_ art teacher – had been spotted kissing one of the math teachers after school. Denny had been caught cheating on an English test, and he had to serve a week of detention, each day of which he needed to complete a two page essay on the topic of ethics. Mica and Steffy had broken up, and now Mica was flirting with Franca, but that was making Jacob really mad, because everyone knew that Jacob had been in love with Franca forever. Now the two boys weren't speaking to each other.

Katniss hadn't been out at all, but she had apparently still missed all that news. She really preferred it that way.

After lunch, Madge pulled Peeta aside and spoke to him in low tones. Katniss wondered if she was finally making her move. Whatever she was saying, Peeta was smiling and nodding in response.

Katniss felt a strange twinge in her stomach. She threw out her trash and hurried off to class.

On the way home from school, Prim asked Peeta how his day had gone.

"It was good. Unexpectedly good," he replied with a smile.

"I bet everyone was happy to see you again."

"Yeah," said Peeta, sounding surprised. "They seemed to be."

"You shouldn't be so shocked, Peeta," Prim laughed. "You're a good person. People like you."

Prim excused herself then and jogged ahead to greet one of her friends. Peeta frowned as he watched her run away.

"For a while there, it didn't seem that way," he said, still staring ahead. It took Katniss a second to realize he was reacting to Prim's last comment. "I had been abandoned by my family, and my friends didn't understand or care to know what was going on. The only person I had in my corner was you."

He turned to her then and his blue eyes burned earnestly into hers. But Katniss shook her head.

"That's not true."

"It isn't?"

"You had Prim. Madge too."

"But I only had them because of you."

Katniss didn't know how to respond, so she abruptly changed the subject, "I hope you didn't mind about the whole apprentice thing. It just slipped out."

He nodded, but the space between his eyebrows crinkled. "It was fine, really, although I didn't understand the reason behind it."

"I guess I didn't want anyone to think that we only took you in because we felt sorry for you or something. You know things were more complicated than that. I didn't want you to have to explain." About bread and debts and trying to do the right thing.

"Well, I appreciate your concern. But Katniss," his mouth curled into a toothy smile, "you are quite possibly the worst liar I've ever seen."

She shoved him. "Shut it. Delly didn't question it."

Peeta rolled his eyes. "Delly doesn't question anything. When I was four, I told her that I was her brother and, despite us having different parents and living in different homes, she believed me for years."

"Why would you even tell her that?"

Peeta looked chagrined. "She wanted to kiss me, but I didn't want to and I didn't want to hurt her feelings…"

Katniss burst out laughing and after a while, Peeta joined in.

Talking about kissing made Katniss think about Madge and what she might have asked Peeta at lunch, but he didn't bring it up and she didn't want to pry.

**A/N: Stay tuned! A jealous Gale makes an appearance in the next chapter.**


	13. Chapter 13

13

Peeta was getting quite good at finding edible plants. He hardly ever made mistakes, and he was careful to check any suspicious plant against the book. But it was summer and edible plants were currently plentiful; this wouldn't be the case come winter. Katniss knew she needed to teach him to hunt.

Initial attempts had not been successful. Peeta stomped about the woods with all the stealth of a drunken bear, and it frustrated her that he didn't even realize how loud he was being. And although he had the strength to work the bow, but his aim was awful.

Katniss realized that he would probably be more successful if he focused on snares. And the best person to teach him that was Gale.

So when Sunday dawned, Katniss brought Peeta along with her when she met up with Gale. Gale did not seem happy to see him.

"He shouldn't be here," Gale said coldly, glaring at Peeta unabashedly.

"He has as much right to be here as we do." Which, of course, was no right at all.

"He's going to scare away all the game. And today is our only day this week to hunt seriously."

Katniss opened her mouth to debate him, but Peeta spoke up instead.

"He's right. You need to focus on hunting today, and I can't get in the way of that."

"But you need to learn snares."

Peeta nodded. "And I will. Some other time. Today, I'll forage and you two can hunt."

Even with Peeta walking off conciliatorily, Gale never stopped glaring at him until he had disappeared from sight. Katniss followed Gale to the north until she was sure Peeta was out of earshot.

"You didn't need to do that," she said angrily.

But Gale seemed equally as angry. "I can't believe you brought him out on a Sunday. This is our time, Katniss."

"But he needs to learn how to hunt, or else we're not going to have enough food come winter. You know how tough things were last year. How's it going to be with another mouth to feed?"

"Well, maybe you should have thought of that before inviting him to live with you. Seriously, Katniss, you didn't think this through."

Katniss scowled. Admittedly, she _hadn't_ thought the decision through, but she knew instinctively that it was the right one.

"And of course the rumors have just gotten worse now," he continued.

"Rumors? What rumors?" She didn't like that he seemed to be changing the subject.

"The ones about you and that boy."

Katniss laughed. "Seriously? What kind of illicit relationships are we supposed to be having if my mother approves of him living with us?"

Gale's angry face turned darker. "Now people are convinced you're engaged."

"That's ridiculous. We're just 16."

"That's only a couple years younger than some people get married and it's definitely not too young if there's a baby involved."

Katniss was bewildered; Gale wasn't making any sense. "What baby? There's no baby. There will _never_ be a baby. You know I don't plan on having kids or even getting married."

"Yeah, well, sometimes plans change," Gale muttered.

"Where on earth is all this coming from Gale? If I didn't know any better, I would think you were jealous."

Gale's expression turned from angry to pained, and an awkward silence settled around them as Katniss realized that was exactly what Gale was. Jealous. The idea was so bizarre to her, but at the same time, she was convinced it was true. Gale was jealous. Of Peeta.

She was trying to figure out how to respond when Gale stepped forward, took her into his arms, and kissed her. For a moment, Katniss was stunned still. She felt the heat of his chapped lips and his breath and his strong hands wrapping around her waist. He smelled slightly of pine and oranges. It was… nice.

She just began to relax into his embrace when she remembered that this was Gale. Gale, her best friend. This was wrong; this would ruin everything. She tried pushing him away, but he resisted her efforts.

"Gale. No," she whispered and at her words, he released her suddenly and stepped back.

The two stared at each other, breathless and confused, until Gale stormed off silently, leaving a dazed Katniss staring after him and touching her lips.

Eventually, she found her way back to Peeta, who had collected a bushel of apples in the trees located near the fence.

"You're done already?" he asked. "Where's Gale?"

"I don't know," she mumbled, feeling like she was lying although it was the truth. "I think I'm going to head home now."

Peeta looked at her silently. He probably realized she had no game to show for all her time "hunting," but the last thing she wanted to do was explain. She just wanted to get out of the forest as soon as possible.

"Sure. I'll head back with you. I've got more than enough apples anyway. Do you think we should stop by the Hob and try to sell some?"

Katniss shook her head.

"No. Apples never sell for too much this time of year; they're too plentiful."

It was the last thing either of them said until they reached home.

* * *

><p>Every time Katniss closed her eyes she saw Gale's pained face or felt herself trapped in his desperate embrace. Eventually, she gave up on sleep and slipped downstairs. Despite the late hour, she found Peeta in the kitchen, bathed in lamplight, baking apple tarts.<p>

"Where did you get the flour for those?" she asked.

Peeta jumped at her voice, but offered her a tight smile as he explained that he made the flour out of tesserae grain and some pigsweed he harvested from the meadow.

"Oh," she said, slipping into one of the chairs opposite him. She grabbed a knife and some of the apples and began to peel and slice. "I thought we had already gone through our tesserae grain this month."

Peeta cleared his throat. "I, uh, signed up for a tessera this month. This is some of my portion."

Katniss frowned. What would be the point of saving his life if he was reaped by the Capitol?

"I wish you would have come to me first. Maybe we could have come up with a better solution."

He shook his head. "You can't take responsibility for feeding your entire family _and_ me. I told you that I would pull my own weight here and I meant it; taking out a tessera is part of that."

Katniss didn't like it, but she couldn't argue with his reasoning, not when she was signed up for three tesserae herself. She couldn't shake her frown, but she shrugged in what she hoped was an accepting manner.

They fell into a silence punctuated only by the sound of slight rustle of their movements. Katniss wished Peeta would learn to be this silent when they were in the woods.

"Can't sleep, huh?" he asked, breaking that silence, and she shrugged. Wasn't that obvious? "Does this have anything to do with Gale?"

Katniss couldn't help her initial surprise at his correct guess from showing on her face, but she still pursed her lips tightly and shook her head. She did _not_ want to talk about Gale with Peeta.

Peeta frowned. "If it was just an argument that's one thing, but… you know, you could tell me, right? If he hurt you. Or if he, you know, if he ever tried forcing you… to, to—"

Katniss's eyes grew wide when she realized what Peeta was thinking.

"No!" she cried, attempting to correct him before he could say anything more. "I mean, Gale would _never_ do that. Never. It was just a kiss; he just kissed me."

A variety of emotions pass over Peeta's face, relief and embarrassment being the most recognizable, but his features quickly settled into a blank expression. He seemed to be waiting for her to say more. Well, he could wait all he wanted; she never intended to say even that much. Katniss scowled through her blush and focused on the apple in her hand.

Eventually, Peeta managed to find his voice. His tone was casual, but his words betrayed his intent.

"So, then, just a kiss? Was that the first time he—? But isn't he—? Aren't you—?"

Katniss sighed. Perhaps a quick clarification would be in everyone's best interest.

"Gale is my best friend. We've never been like that."

"Really?" Peeta smiled broadly. "Because everyone always assumed and you two seem so close…"

Katniss rolled her eyes. Yeah, because rumors were so reliable.

But then Peeta's forehead furrowed and he cleared his throat.

"Um, do you _want_ Gale to be your boyfriend?"

"I don't ever want a boyfriend," she said flatly, shaking her head. "I'm not going to get married and have kids; not with the conditions being what they are here in 12, not while there's a chance my kids could be reaped."

Peeta frowned a little and continued with the baking, dipping the apples in some sort of sugar and nut concoction and folding the pieces into dough that he then coated in butter and more sugar.

"Having a boyfriend and having kids isn't exactly the same thing."

Katniss sighed. Were they seriously still talking about this?

"I just don't see the point."

"But… you care about Gale?"

"Of course I care about Gale," she snapped. "He's my best friend! I trust him with my life. I trust him with the lives of my mother and Prim." The ghost of Gale's pained expression appeared before her, and tears welled up in her eyes. "I – I can't imagine life without him," she whispered.

She listened as Peeta took a deep breath.

"I guess you need to talk to him then. If Gale is worth anything, he'll… be there for you. In whatever way you need him to be."

Katniss nodded. Peeta was probably right. They would talk. She would explain and apologize and Gale would understand. Things would go back to the way they had always been. Tomorrow. She'd talk to him tomorrow.


	14. Chapter 14

14

When they awoke that morning, the house smelled of baked goods. By the time Katniss got downstairs, Peeta was already dressed and ready to go.

"Don't you ever sleep?" grumbled Katniss. He had gone to bed after she had, and she was definitely feeling her late night.

But Peeta only shrugged. "I got used to rising early when I worked in the bakery. I guess I'm going back to old habits."

Katniss could only grunt in response.

"Is that for lunch?" Prim asked, eying the box of baked goods wrapped in a string.

"Um, no, actually," replied Peeta, blushing. "That's for Madge. But I packed us all some nice apple tarts for lunch."

So it _was_ true, Katniss thought. Peeta was with Madge. She tried to determine how she left about that. Part of her was happy for her friends; they seemed to get along. She doubted anyone could make a better match than the mayor's daughter, and Peeta was kind and strong and resilient. He would probably make a great husband one day.

But part of her resented the idea of everyone pairing off. Why did everything have to change? What couldn't everyone just be happy with the way things were? Didn't they realize that loving someone was just an invitation to get hurt?

When they got to school, Katniss caught sight of Gale standing in the yard, talking to several of his friends. She caught his eye and offered him a small wave, but he just looked away and went back to chatting with his friends.

It upset her more than she wanted to admit.

"Don't worry," whispered Peeta, who had apparently not been blind to the exchange. "After school, I'll take Prim into town for a while. You can catch up with him then."

Katniss nodded, but her stomach turned. It wasn't a conversation to which she looked forward.

Lunch was weird as well. Delly sat with them again and her acceptance was apparently a signal that other people would be also welcomed, so several of Peeta's old merchant friends joined them at the table. Katniss wasn't sure which had been the bigger draw: Peeta or his baked goods, which as per their table's "tradition" he split among everyone who joined them.

Katniss was glad Peeta seemed to have made up with most of his old friends, but she wasn't sure how she felt about sitting with them all. She exchanged a wary look with Madge, who rolled her eyes in response.

As if she hadn't dealt with enough that day, the music teacher attempted to speak with Katniss after school about the upcoming concert, hoping she could get her to participate. By the time Katniss was able to convince her that it was never going to happen, Gale and his siblings had already left for home.

It wasn't as if Katniss hadn't been to the Hawthorne home a hundred times before, but she felt awkward about following him there today. Had he told his family about their fight? Did any of them know how Gale felt about her? Did they blame her for rejecting him? The idea made her sick.

Rory opened the door when she knocked and immediately gave Katniss a sly smile.

"Why if it isn't my favorite girl in the whole world! Have you finally decided to take me up on my offer? Are you here to whisk me away and do unspeakable things to my body?"

Katniss snorted. "I don't think you'd like the things I'm currently planning to do to your body, Rory."

He leaned in close and whispered suggestively, "There's only one way to find out."

She rolled her eyes and flicked his ear. He jumped back, crying out in pain.

"Get your brother for me," she demanded firmly.

"Spoilsport," he muttered. "Hey, Gale! Door!"

Gale came to door, seemingly unsurprised to see her. He nodded once in greeting.

"Would you like to come in or has Rory scared you away?"

She thought about the conversation they were about to have.

"Actually, maybe we could go somewhere a little more private?"

Gale stared at her for a moment before nodding once. "Let me just get my boots. I know just the place."

Instead of heading west towards the woods, he led her south, along the paths that led to the mines. Katniss had rarely been out in that direction since her father's death. Gale seemed like he was a little more familiar with it.

They rounded a corner near the mine entrance and came upon a flat, secluded area.

"There aren't too many private places in 12, Katniss, but this is usually one of them."

She looked around and took in the mountain of gray coal dust. She paled when the implications of the location struck her; Gale had taken her behind the slag heap.

Gale laughed bitterly at her reaction. "Don't worry, Katniss; I know you have no interest in doing any of _that_ with me. You made that perfectly clear on Sunday."

Katniss felt anger surge inside of her. He was not going to make this all her fault. She wasn't the one who tried to change things.

"I thought I made that perfectly clear well before Sunday," she snapped. "Since when does 'I don't want a boyfriend' mean 'kiss me'?"

He shrugged. "You'd be surprised." He offered her his crooked smile, but it seemed off. "Anyway, I had to try. At least once."

She fought the urge to storm away. She remembered his pained expression from yesterday and it helped tamp down her bile.

"I came because I wanted to apologize," she said softly.

"Because you don't want me?" His voice was cold. "You don't have to apologize for that."

"No. I wanted to apologize for bringing Peeta along on Sunday." That got his attention. "Sundays _are_ our time, and I really didn't take into consideration how you might have felt about that. And I'm sorry for yelling at you when you brought it up. And for ruining an important hunting day." She took a deep breath. "But I'm _not_ sorry I asked Peeta to stay with my family. I'm not sorry for trying to save his life. Or for trying to teach him about the woods, because I'm not sure I can feed another mouth on my own."

Gale stared at her for a second.

"Why him?" he asked in a frustrated tone. "What's so special about this boy?"

Katniss exhaled slowly. "He saved my life." She explained about her mother falling apart after her father's death and starving and the bread and his bruise and everything Peeta's act of kindness had meant. Understanding settled over Gale's features, and she decided to go further.

"All those rumors are just rumors, Gale. Peeta is just a friend; I don't think of him like that. I don't think of _anyone_ like that. I – can't. I'm just not built that way."

Gale's face hardened slightly, and she stepped closer to him.

"But you know I like you more than anyone. Except Prim."

Gale smiled at that and this time it seemed genuine.

"I need you, Gale." Needing was a weakness, and she hated admitting to it even more than she hated that it was true. "I need your friendship and I need your support. Especially when it comes to Peeta. Because, honestly, I'm not sure I can do it all on my own."

She felt vulnerable and exposed as she waited for Gale's response.

"Fine," he said finally. "I'll help teach the boy. But this doesn't mean that I'm going to be friends with him or anything."

Katniss grinned and threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her back, and only a couple of seconds passed before Katniss remembered where they were and separated from Gale with a blush.

"We wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea, would we?" he muttered and it was only slightly sarcastic.

**A/N: Just a reminder that this story is told from Katniss's perspective. She's making assumptions and missing out on some important information. That's going to become a lot more obvious in the next few chapters.**

**Again, thanks for all the reviews. I'm truly honored so many of you are following this story or have marked it as a favorite.**


	15. Chapter 15

15

Katniss hated going to lunch now. Their table was packed with practically every merchant kid in their grade. The lunch conversation was loud and chaotic and often involved lots of gossip.

Today a boy named Mica sat beside her and talked a constant steam about the grocery his parents own and how the store will be his one day. He complimented her braid and actually tugged on it, and it took all her willpower not to stab him in the hand with her fork. As it was, she still threatened to do so if he didn't keep his hands to himself. The entire table burst out laughing. Apparently, they thought she was joking. Mica, unrepentant and undeterred, smiled and winked at her.

Peeta must have possessed some idea of how uncomfortable Mica was making her, as he kept shooting the boy daggers at every opportunity.

Katniss wished she had a good excuse to sit at another table, but she was forced to admit that everyone had been quite nice to her so far. Had associating with Peeta and Madge given her some sort of merchant credibility that outweighed her Seam heritage? She didn't quite understand or trust their acceptance, but she did know that sitting with the merchants had already proved beneficial.

Late last week, Delly had admitted to being jealous of Katniss's ready access to meat. Apparently, the Cartwright family couldn't afford to have meat more than once a week and even then it was only salted pork. The blond girl had offered to trade Katniss shoes for meat, and Katniss had readily accepted. Shoes were expensive and Prim had almost outgrown her current pair.

Seeing her success, other kids had piped up with offers, and Katniss suddenly had a lot more customers.

So despite her discomfort, she kept her mouth shut and remained seated.

Over the last few days, the majority of their lunch discussions revolved around the upcoming school concert: who was going with whom and what everyone would wear.

"What are you going to wear Madge?" asked the girl next to Peeta. Katniss thought her name might have been Jada or Jadel or something. "I bet your father ordered you something really nice from the Capitol."

Madge blushed. "Um, he did. A white dress. But it didn't fit right, so it's currently being altered."

"I've seen it," offered the tailor's daughter excitedly. "My father says it's almost done. It's all silk and lace and the bodice is tight but the skirt flares out like flower petals. And the back is laced up with ribbons instead of buttons!"

Some of the girls sighed and others eyed Madge resentfully. This was probably why Madge didn't like spending time with these girls, thought Katniss. It was probably uncomfortable to be envied so openly. She wondered if that was perhaps part of the reason why the townies kept pretty much separate from the Seam kids.

Or maybe most of these kids were so self-centered that they forgot the Seam even existed.

"And who are you taking, Madge?" asked the girl named Franca. She was practically sitting in Jacob's lap with her hand entwined with his. She obviously had her date settled.

Madge shook her head. "No one."

There was an awkward pause. Even Katniss was a bit surprised. What about Peeta? Was she ashamed to be seen with him because he lived in the Seam now? That didn't sound like Madge, but she couldn't think of another reason why they wouldn't attend together. She knew Peeta was going to the concert; Prim had a solo and there's no way he'd miss that.

"So, is your dad super strict? Does he not let you go on dates?" nosed Jada/Jadel.

"Yeah, he can be a little severe about some things," replied Madge with a wry smile.

Most of the table sounded sympathetic, but Katniss knew Madge well enough to know when she was lying. She shot Peeta a curious look, but his eyes were trained on Mica.

"Katniss, are you going to the concert?" asked Mica and she noticed his hand had drifted far too close to hers.

She nodded, quickly removing her hand from the table and placing it in her lap. "My sister has a solo," she said, unable to keep pride from leaking into her voice. Of course, if Prim wasn't in the concert, there's no way she'd be within five miles of the event.

"And who are you taking?" Mica asked again. "Hawthorne?"

Katniss shrugged and struggled to swallow a snicker. Gale _was_ coming, and not just because of Prim. Rory had a starring role in the concert as well. And Gale was looking forward to the event even less than Katniss was.

"Our families will probably end up going together. Peeta too." If he wasn't going with Madge.

From the other side of the table, Peeta cleared his throat.

"Actually, I just received word today that I have an obligation which will prevent me from going with anyone." Katniss shot him an accusatory look. Was he really going to miss Prim's big solo, the one for which she had been practicing so diligently?

As if he could read her mind, he clarified, "I'm still going, but I need to arrive hours before the concert starts. Because I'm catering it."

The table was silent for a moment as his news sunk in.

"But… isn't the event always catered by some company from the Capitol?"

"This year the mayor thought it would be nice to do something different. So I'll be making cheese buns, apple tarts, some special cookies, and fresh apple cider. Well, me and my brother and Mr. Franklin will be making it. There's no way I'd be able to do it all on my own, and we're going to use the ovens at the bakery."

"That's – that's incredible, Peeta," said Jacob. "Congratulations!"

"So I guess your brother hooked you up, huh, Peet?" asked Mica.

"Not exactly. I brought the job to him. It seems the mayor tasted some of my cheese buns and apple tarts and was impressed. He was already having some sort of dispute with that Capitol catering company. Things just kind of fell into place from there."

Katniss knew he was simplifying things. How had the mayor tasted Peeta's treats to begin with? And wasn't it awfully convenient that he was already having trouble with the old catering company?

She remembered the cardboard box wrapped in string, the one intended for Madge. She glanced towards the girl, but Madge avoided her eyes with a smile. She must have helped Peeta orchestrate this. She must really like him.

Even accounting for the cost of ingredients and splitting the proceeds with his brother and Franklin, Peeta was likely going to earn a great deal for this job.

Katniss turned to Peeta in shock and found him staring back at her. Even as everyone at the table patted him on the back and remarked at his good fortune, he maintained eye contact with Katniss. His expression was tentative, as if he was seeking her approval.

So she smiled. And his returning smile was breathtaking.

**A/N: This is a little bit on the short side, but you're getting two updates in one night. That means no complaining.**

**Up next: The concert.**


	16. Chapter 16

16

When the Everdeens arrived at the auditorium, Katniss's eyes immediately sought out Peeta. She found the boy leaning against the wall chatting with his eldest brother. Rye caught sight of Katniss and waved her over to them with a big smile.

"Peeta here was just telling me that you sing, Katniss," boomed Rye.

Katniss shot Peeta a dark look, and the boy had the decency to look abashed.

"I just mentioned in it passing," mumbled Peeta defensively. "We were actually talking about Prim and her solo."

She didn't really want to talk about singing, so she nodded to the left of the boys where a beautiful spread of baked goods was laid out on tablecloth-covered school tables.

"You guys did a great job. This looks absolutely delicious."

"Think it's worth all the apple picking you and I did this week?" asked Peeta hopefully.

Katniss snorted. "I don't know. That was a _lot_ of apples. I'll have to taste the food before I can answer that question."

Rye handed her an apple tart, and she bit in enthusiastically.

"Oh," she moaned. "Worth it. Totally worth it."

A large crowd of hungry children and parents were helping themselves to the baked goods, and the cider was being distributed from a huge crystal punch bowl. Katniss wondered how the boys had gotten a hold of something so lovely and expensive. Perhaps this was another thing that Madge had had her finger in.

Having finished her tart, Katniss leaned over and picked up a cookie, carefully iced with yellow, four-petal flowers. A primrose? She raised an eyebrow at Peeta and he smiled.

"I thought it would be a nice surprise for her. In honor of her big night."

Katniss nodded and struggled to suppress the surprising urge to cry.

"She'll love that," she said softly.

"Hmm. Those cookies are going fast," commented Rye. "I think we probably need to bring out the next set. Help me carry them out, Peet?"

"Sure," replied Peeta. "You should probably go yourself, Katniss; the concert's about to start. I saved a bunch of seats in the front row, next to Madge. It should be enough for the whole Everdeen and Hawthorne crew. I doubt I'll be able to join you though. I need to ensure that the tables stay stocked during the event."

"We'll catch up back here after the concert," she called as the boys exited the back door of the auditorium.

Almost as soon as Peeta and his brother walked away, Gale appeared by her side. She smiled sincerely in greeting. Their last hunting trip had been free of the tension that characterized much of their interaction after the kiss, and she was optimistic that things would soon return to the way things were.

"Glad I found you," he said. "It's pretty crowded, but I found us some seats in the back."

Katniss shook her head. "Peeta was here early. He saved us a bunch of seats up front. You'll be close enough to see Rory wink at all the pretty girls."

"Peeta came early?" Gale raised his left eyebrow. "Did he have a date or something?"

Katniss smiled proudly. "He's catering the concert, so he had to show up early to set-up."

"_Peeta_ is catering this?" He looked down in shock at the half-eaten apple tart in his hand.

"Well, him and the bakery. Impressive, right?"

"Yeah. Impressive. Bet it will net him a pretty penny, too," agreed Gale, but his face was dark. "Maybe it won't be so important that the boy learns snares after all."

Katniss shrugged uncomfortably. "Maybe. But it's always better to know than not. Anyway, let's go. I don't want to miss the start."

She placed her hand on his arm, but Gale shook her off.

"I think I'll sit in the back anyway. I've never been a front row kind of guy."

"Gale…" she started, but she didn't quite know what to say. "He's not even sitting with us."

He shook his head and stepped back. "I'll catch up with you after the concert." On his way to his seat, she saw him dispose of the rest of the apple tart in the trash.

Katniss wanted to throttle him for being so stubborn, but instead she marched off to find her mother and the rest of the Hawthornes standing around the cider. She explained about the seats and escorted them up front where Madge was already sitting.

Katniss nodded as she sat down next to Madge. The girl wore a traditional-style blue dress instead of the white one she had spoken of at lunch. Her lapel was adorned with a striking gold pin.

"I thought you were going to wear a white dress," said Katniss in lieu of a standard greeting.

"My father thought I might be more comfortable in something made in the District instead of all that silk and ribbons. Plus, you know how hard it is to keep white clean with all the coal dust."

Katniss nodded slowly. She felt like there was additional meaning behind Madge's words. "Shame to let such a pretty dress go to waste though."

Madge gave her a wry look. "It won't go to waste. The reaping is coming up in a couple months. I can always wear it then. Have to look pretty for those cameras, right?"

It was a sobering moment for both of them. Katniss decided to change the subject.

"I hope you're not upset that I ruined lunchtime." Madge gave her a strange look. "Those other kids would have never joined us if not for Peeta and I was the one who invited Peeta…"

Madge shook her head dismissively.

"You couldn't have foreseen that. Plus, lunch isn't ruined; it's just… different."

Katniss nodded and they sat in silence as the concert began. Out of the corner of her eye, Katniss could see Madge squirming uncomfortably until the girl abruptly whispered, "Are you dating Gale Hawthorne?"

It was a strange shift in the conversation, even for them, and Katniss turned to look squarely at her friend. Madge's cheeks were pink, and she continued to stare straight ahead at the stage.

Katniss felt no need to answer other than honestly. "No."

Madge nodded. "What about Peeta?"

"Peeta?" Katniss struggled to keep her voice down. "I thought _you_ were dating Peeta."

Madge finally turned toward her, her face mirroring the surprise on Katniss's face. "Why would you think that?"

Katniss shrugged. "You seem to get along well. He brought you that box of baked goods. And you obviously helped him get this gig…"

Madge shook her head again. "Peeta's baking talent got him this job. I just brought that talent to my father's attention – _through_ those baked goods you mentioned. It was the least I could do. Peeta's a really decent guy. But I'm not _with_ Peeta. I'm not dating anyone."

"Me neither. And I have no interest in doing so," she said, perhaps a bit more firmly than necessary.

"Okay." Madge blinked and her shoulders seemed to relax slightly.

As they listened to the rest of the concert in silence, Katniss wondered if she and Madge had just engaged in "girl talk." If so, she hoped it wasn't going to be something they repeated very often.

The concert turned out to be more enjoyable than Katniss had expected. Peeta's catering was not the only change to the conventionally stuffy event. In addition to some of the Capitol standards, the music teacher had worked several old District songs into the concert. A couple, particularly one lamenting the sorrows of working the coal mine, sounded dangerously rebellious.

The crowd responded enthusiastically to the changes. They whistled loudly after Prim's solo and during one song, where Rory led the crowd in a rousing fiddle solo, children jumped up and began dancing in the aisles. Then the parents joined in, and Rory was encouraged to perform an unplanned encore.

But not everyone seemed so pleased. A couple education officials from the Capitol were in attendance, and their expressions remained stony throughout much of the event. For the mayor's sake, Katniss hoped they didn't consider any of these changes a snub to Capitol.

Of course, it was only a school concert. How dangerous could a school concert be?

At the end of the event, the mayor came on stage to award a ribbon for Best Performance to Rory. The whole crowd went wild, and even Katniss smiled when the boy caught her eye and winked.

Afterwards, they waited for Rory and Prim by the now empty food tables.

Katniss finally spotted her sister as the girl wound her way through the crowd. The little blond girl was holding Rory's hand, practically yanking him along as she ran towards their families.

Katniss ran forward to meet her, embracing her in a firm hug.

"You did wonderful, little duck. I'm so proud of you," whispered Katniss into her hair.

Prim thanked her and stood on her toes to kiss her cheek before turning her attention to the figure behind Katniss. Prim then squealed and ran out of Katniss's embrace to jump into the arms of a stunned Peeta.

"I saw the cookies! They were so beautiful! Thank you so much, Peeta!"

Peeta returned the girl's enthusiastic hug. "You more than deserved it. All your hard work paid off in spades. Your singing was amazing. Best of the whole concert."

Prim smiled and blushed.

"Rory and I thought we should all go over to the Hawthorne's to celebrate! Come with us?"

Peeta's eyes lifted briefly to Gale's stormy glare before he responded.

"I wish I could, but I still need to clean up here first. And then I promised my brothers I would go out with them to celebrate. But I promise we'll do something extra special tomorrow."

"Promise?" Prim asked with pleading eyes, holding out her pinky.

Peeta smiled and hooked his pinky with hers.

"Promise. After all, we have some extra spending money now. I'm sure we can spare a few coins on something special."

Peeta accepted his own congratulations from Mrs. Everdeen and Mrs. Hawthorne before he excused himself to get back to the cleanup. Both families started moving towards the exit, but Gale stood as if rooted to the ground.

Katniss frowned. "Are you coming, Gale?" she asked.

He shook his head. "You guys go on ahead. There's something I have to do first." Without additional explanation, Gale stormed off in the opposite direction.

Katniss watched him stomp away with a twinge in her stomach. An angry Gale was a dangerous Gale. She hoped he wasn't going to do anything stupid.

**A/N: Any bets on Gale's ability to stay out of trouble?**


	17. Chapter 17

17

"Peeta, there's no way you are going to convince my mother to take your money," said Katniss, rolling her eyes.

"It's seriously the least I can do to pay your family back for taking me in. Without your—"

His argument was getting old, and Katniss didn't feel the need to let him finish.

"We're fine, Peeta; you need to think of yourself. There are plenty of things you still need. Like a bed. That cot is way too small for you now." During the months he had lived with the Everdeens, Peeta had gained back most of the weight he had lost since his father's death. He wasn't quite as stocky as he had once been, but he looked toned and healthy and it was a drastic improvement over visible ribs. "And you'll probably need some warm clothes for winter. It won't be summer forever."

The two of them were strolling to the Hob, each carrying a tray of fresh meat pies. Since his success with the concert, Peeta had begun selling homemade baked goods through Greasy Sae's stall at the Hob. She took a third of the proceeds of each sale, but since Peeta claimed no interest in setting up his own stall – not while he still had school – and Sae already had an established customer base, Katniss thought it a fair deal.

"Maybe you could spend your money to build some big ovens in the backyard. That way you wouldn't have to go through Franklin on future catering jobs. Or maybe you could save towards opening your own bakery someday."

Peeta shook his head. "I don't really want to compete with the bakery in town. I doubt there's enough business to go around, and if Franklin's business suffers, Rye would be let go."

"Well, what do you want to do? Eventually, you'll need some profession. I'm not sure there are enough events in the District to make catering a profession."

Peeta nodded slowly.

"When I was still living with my mother, I tried finding an apprenticeship with pretty much every merchant in town, but there either wasn't an opportunity for me or they had someone else in mind."

"You're also just 16, Peeta. You may have more luck in a couple of years. Or maybe you really could apprentice with my mother and work at the apothecary."

He shrugged. "It's a nice idea and I wouldn't mind learning more about healing, but I wouldn't want to take any opportunities away from Prim. We both know she was born to be a healer."

His comment flooded Katniss with warmth. She loved how Peeta had virtually adopted Prim as his own little sister. But that warmth turned ice cold when Peeta's next words left his mouth.

"I guess like most people I'll probably end up in the mines when I turn 18."

It's not a future Katniss had ever pictured for the blond-haired boy, but she admitted that he had the strength for it. Still, she remembered what happened to her father, and she wished fervently that there were more options to make a living in District 12.

"What about you? What do you see in your future, Katniss?"

It was Katniss's turn to shrug. She never given much thought to what she'd like to do when she grew up; all of her efforts had been focused on just being able to grow up.

"There's no way I can be a healer; I don't have the stomach for it. I know it's not a reliable livelihood, but I'll probably keep hunting for as long as I can. If the district ever begins to enforce the laws again, I guess I'll take to the mines myself. If they'll take me."

A look of pain crosses Peeta's features. "Well, let's hope it never comes to that."

Katniss nodded. "For either of us."

But both were well aware that the odds weren't in their favor.

"Katniss! My favorite little lawbreaker! How are you doing today? I see you've brought me some goodies."

They had reached the opening of the Hob and were met by one of the Hob regulars, a red-headed Peacekeeker named Darius. Darius was about Gale's age or maybe a couple years older, and he seemed to have no compunction regarding encouraging the illegal behavior he was there to prevent. He was current sniffing the air and rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

Katniss smiled in spite of herself.

"These goodies aren't for you, Darius. Not unless you have the coin for them."

"Well, what about a barter? One kiss for one pie? You'd be getting the better end of the deal, no doubt, but I don't mind."

"I'm sure you wouldn't," said Katniss, rolling her eyes. "But I'm afraid I'll have to pass."

"Okay then. Two kisses. Three."

Peeta frowned and cleared his throat. He took Katniss's tray from her hands. "Excuse me, Katniss. I'll just take these to Sae's stall before the pies get too cold." He might have given Darius a hard look as he passed him.

Darius leaned closer to Katniss and mock whispered, "I think your boyfriend is jealous."

She rolled her eyes. "Peeta isn't my boyfriend. Why does everyone keep making that assumption?"

Darius laughed and tugged on her braid. "Well, probably because it's obvious to anyone with eyes that the boy's madly in love with you."

Katniss only scoffed. Peeta? In love with her?

"You're not using him to make Hawthorne jealous, are you? Because, take it from me, I've played that game and it doesn't turn out well."

Katniss froze. Was that the reason why Gale was so jealous? She hadn't seen much of him since the concert. Did he have reason to suspect Peeta harbored feelings for her?

When Darius realized he wasn't going to get an answer out of her, he sighed.

"I guess I've given you something to think about. I'll leave you to it. Those pies are calling my name anyway."

Katniss let him leave without a goodbye. If Peeta had feelings for her it might explain a few things. The bread. His sharp memory regarding that first day of school. The fact that he let her help him – even moved in with her – when he hardly reached out to his own siblings for assistance.

But, no, it couldn't be true. Darius didn't know anything; Peeta had never shown any romantic interest in her. He was friendly with her, but no more than he was friendly with Madge or others. He had never flirted with her. He had never tried to kiss her. If he loved her, she would know.

As if her conclusion had conjured his presence, Peeta suddenly parted the crowd as he hurried back to Katniss.

He looked really angry.

"Are you ready to go home? I forgot I promised Prim I'd help her with her homework, and I'd like to get back as soon as possible.

Katniss wasn't opposed to leaving, but she didn't understand his urgency or his sudden change in mood. She raised her eyebrows in silent question.

He attempted a smile and mumbled something about not wanting to disappoint Prim, but he couldn't keep a frown off his face.

"Peeta. Seriously. What's wrong? You're obviously upset."

He sighed. "Can I just say that I saw something I wished I didn't, and I don't want to talk about it?"

Katniss nodded. It struck her that anything that upset him so badly must have something to do with his family.

She followed him back to the house in silence and tried not to take offense when he immediately retreated from her company.

* * *

><p>The next day, Peeta's weird mood was still present. He didn't pay attention to Prim's chatter on the way to school. He scowled through most of lunch and even snapped at Madge for no reason. Then, after school ended, he told Katniss and Prim to go home without him.<p>

"I just need to talk to someone. I won't be long."

"Would you like us to go with you?" asked Prim, concern evident on her delicate features.

"No, this is something I need to do alone. But I promise I'll be back before dark." He kissed her on the head and shot Katniss a sad smile as he waved them goodbye.

When Peeta came home – before dark, as promised – he sported a black eye and a foul mood.

Katniss was certain that he must have gone to see his mother. She waited until her mother and Prim were busy preparing medicines before she confronted him on the back porch.

"Did you go see your family?" she asked just after she shut the door soundlessly behind her. Her voice was clipped with anger, but she hoped he understood that the anger wasn't directed towards him.

Peeta jumped. "What?"

She reached up to touch his black eye and tried in a softer tone, "Your mother. Did she do this to you?"

He blinked. Some emotion passed quickly over his face – resolution? – before he grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"There's nothing left for me anymore back there, Katniss. I know that now. If I have any future at all, it's with you… and your family. Just know I'll always be here for you."

Katniss wasn't quite sure how to react to his heartfelt sentiment; she had never done well in emotional moments. She reached awkwardly with her other arm to pat Peeta on the back, and he responded by enveloping her in a bear hug. His arms were warm and strong, and her ability to breathe and think were both impaired. When he finally let her go, they were both embarrassed and flushed. Katniss offered him a weak smile before she quickly retreated to her room.

When she woke the next morning, the house was filled with sweet evidence that Peeta spent half the night baking.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know many of you were hoping for answers and now you probably have more questions, but things should be revealed – to you _and_ Katniss – in the next chapter. **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: A bit of a warning. This is a T-rated story, but I push the envelope of that rating a bit in this chapter. I don't want to spoil anything, but there's a **vague description **of sexual act and one serious curse word. If that offends you, please skip this chapter.**

18

Katniss made the decision to take Peeta to the lake on Saturday. She waited months to make this trip with him, despite the beauty of the location and the fact that there were several species of edible plants out there that weren't found elsewhere. It wasn't just that it took several hours to get to the lake; some sentimental part of her wanted to keep it a secret place between her and Gale.

But, as always with Katniss, practical matters won out over emotional ones.

In addition to the edible plants, Katniss thought Peeta could probably be taught to fish. He was far too noisy to be a hunter, but fishing was mostly about waiting. And Peeta struck her as a very patient person.

The apprehension she felt at bringing Peeta with her notwithstanding, the hike was a pleasant one. Peeta's foul mood from earlier in the week had transformed into an anxious helpfulness. Perhaps it was his attempt to prove how thankful he was to be part of their family. He volunteered to run Katniss's errands, and he helped Prim with her school projects. And he finally decided what to do with the majority of his proceeds from catering the concert; he was going to add a two-room extension to the house.

Katniss wasn't sure how she felt about the idea at first. It seemed so… permanent. But Peeta argued that he really would appreciate not having to sleep on a cot in the living room. And the second room could either be used as a bedroom for the girls or a patient treatment area. Since Oates had promised to provide his carpentry experience and Rye agreed to assist with the hard labor, it wouldn't be that expensive. Plus, Peeta had reasoned, after he moved out the space could be used for something else.

So as they walked, Peeta talked about Oates' blueprints and where the windows should be installed and what color to paint the walls. He confessed that he was really excited about the idea of having his own room for the first time in his life. The sound of his voice was soothing, and Katniss appreciated that he didn't require much in the way of response.

When they approached their destination, Katniss noticed telltale smoke rising above the tree line. She frowned as she realized that someone must already be out at the lake. She knew Gale would not be happy to learn she brought Peeta to their spot, but she hoped it was him anyway. If she were to encounter anyone else, it was going to be even less pleasant.

"Stay here, Peeta," she ordered quietly.

"What? What's wrong?"

She explained about the smoke and how she was going to sneak up and check out the situation for herself.

"But I thought you said that only Gale knew about this place."

She nodded. "To my knowledge, yeah. It's probably just him." She didn't mention that she and Gale had once encountered two strangers running for their life in the woods or that, as they watched, a hovercraft swooped down and speared the boy and netted the girl. She didn't mention it, but she remembered it. And notched her bow.

"Don't go. Let's head back," pleaded Peeta anxiously.

She shook her head and attempted to keep her voice calm and level. "As I said, it's probably just Gale. And we didn't just hike for hours to turn back now. Just stay here. I'll be right back."

Peeta reluctantly nodded, but he watched her stalk away with worried eyes.

She silently approached the remains of the cabin by the lake. When she was close enough to peer over the ruins of the partial wall, to her immediate relief, she saw Gale.

But that feeling of relief soon gave way to other feelings. Because Gale wasn't alone. And his pants were around his ankles and some blond girl's legs were wrapped around his waist. A blond girl whose impassioned face Katniss was treated to a very good view. Katniss stared in a combination of horror and shock until Madge's hooded gaze actually caught her eye and that same look of horror and shock crossed her face.

It was enough to unfreeze Katniss, who numbly and loudly stumbled away. She heard cursing and her name being called, but she didn't consider turning back.

She made her way back to Peeta and told him she needed to go home. He nodded and asked for no explanation. His face showed pain but no surprise. She realized Peeta must have suspected something along the lines of the scene she had just stumbled upon. She pushed aside that thought, along with any other thought that wasn't about getting home as quickly as possible.

It soon became obvious that Gale was chasing after them, calling Katniss's name. She didn't turn around, but, judging from the increasingly loud sound, she figured he was right on their heels.

"Stop running away from me like a child!" he demanded.

But she couldn't. She couldn't talk to him. She couldn't even look at him.

"Just leave her alone," growled Peeta and even in her numb state Katniss was surprised to hear such animosity coming from him. "She obviously doesn't want to talk to you right now."

"Ah, I see I wasn't the only one to bring a guest to the lake," said Gale sarcastically. "Maybe you're just jealous that I interrupted your own plans to make use of the lake house."

Peeta turned around swiftly and punched Gale in the face. The hit knocked Gale back, and the crunch of cartilage was enough to make Katniss pause and turn.

Gale's eyes flashed with rage and he looked as if he wanted to hit Peeta right back, but instead he rubbed his jaw.

"I thought you were too good to hit me. What happened to being the better man?"

"Right now, I'm hard pressed to think of anyone who isn't better than you," Peeta spat, and Gale did hit him then, knocking the smaller boy onto the forest floor. He leapt on Peeta and was about to keep hitting him, when Katniss shouted stop.

Her tone was serious and cold and underlined by the arrow she had trained on Gale. It was enough to make both boys pause.

"You would never kill me," said Gale steadily, his eyes carefully focused on hers.

"You're right," agreed Katniss. "But I honestly don't feel like injuring you would be very difficult right now. Go back to Madge, Gale. There's no way she'll be able to find her way back without you."

Gale seemed to consider her words before finally nodding and standing to retreat. Before he disappeared into the trees, he turned to face her again. Her arrow was still notched and aimed.

"This conversation isn't over, Katniss. You can't run away from me forever. We _will_ talk."

Katniss gave no indication that she heard him, and she waited until he had left before lowering her bow.

She waited until Peeta picked himself up and brushed the leaves and dirt off his clothes before she started again towards home. She didn't ask if he was okay or check his injuries or demand to know who had _really_ given him the black eye he still sported. She didn't talk at all until they were almost home.

"You knew," she said flatly. It was a statement, not a question.

Peeta admitted softly that he did. "I saw Gale and Madge together outside the Hob when you were talking with Darius. They were, um, graphic."

"You didn't tell me."

Peeta swallowed and nodded. "I didn't want to hurt you, and I didn't think the news should have come from me."

She pondered this, and couldn't help but to agree. Her best friend – or, at the very least, Madge – should have mentioned something.

At home, Katniss skipped dinner and took directly to bed. She left Peeta to explain things to her family. Without having discussed it, she knew he would make up some sort of excuse for her.

* * *

><p>Katniss was so angry at herself for being upset. She had rejected Gale. He had every right to date whomever he pleased. Had she really thought the handsomest, most eligible boy in school was just waiting around for her to figure out that she had romantic feelings for him? Apparently, a really stupid part of her did.<p>

_Was_ she in love with Gale? Is that why this hurt so much? But if she loved him, why did the idea of kissing him make her want to throw up? Maybe because Gale obviously didn't mean much with his kisses if he could kiss her and then a couple weeks later fuck her friend against a wall.

But, even if she hadn't wanted it, his kiss had meant something to her. It had been her first. Maybe it would be the only kiss she would ever receive.

But that self-pitying thought only made her angrier. Her body shook with charged energy, and eventually she gave up on faking sleep. She got up, careful not to wake Prim, dressed in the dark, and made her way to the backdoor.

Peeta must have been a much lighter sleeper than her sister because she had only tiptoed past the living room when he called out to her.

"Is everything alright?"

Katniss wasn't sure how to answer that, so she stayed silent.

"Is there anything I can do?"

She laughed bitterly. "You could let me kiss you."

She honestly didn't know she was going to say it before it was out of her mouth and she was probably as shocked as he was. He said nothing in response, and she mumbled an apology and sprinted towards the door.

But Peeta moved faster than she had ever seen him move before and grabbed her arm before she could open the door.

"I'm not saying no," he said. "I just want to know why." She pressed her lips together, unsure and unwilling, and he pressed again. "I mean, this isn't because you just realized you're madly in love with me, right?"

His tone was joking, but Darius's words ran through her head. She didn't want Peeta to get the wrong idea.

"No, of course not. It's because… I'm angry. At him. And at her. And I'm angry that Gale Hawthorne is the only boy to have ever kissed me and may _always_ be my only kiss. And I'm angry that he knows that. And you're… here. And Gale doesn't like you. And I do." She was just glad it was dark and he probably couldn't see the flush across her face.

Peeta struggled to form a response to her word vomit.

"But if Gale didn't… or if _you_ didn't see… or is this more because she… or maybe because I—?" He shook his head, unable to complete any of his sentences. "You know what? It doesn't really matter. Yes. You can kiss me."

She really didn't expect him to say yes. She just started at him and he started at her until she realized he must be waiting for her to do something. Knowing she had asked for this, Katniss took a deep breath and leaned in slowly, pausing only centimeters away from his lips. She could feel his breath, quick and warm against her face. He seemed as nervous as she was.

He opened his mouth, probably to say how she didn't need to go through with it, so she leaned the rest of the way in and stopped his words with a kiss.

His lips were softer than Gale's and the kiss was far gentler. While Gale had held her tightly to him, Peeta kept his body away from hers, even when his hands sneaked out to cradle her face. But that didn't stop a warm feeling from starting in the pit of her stomach. As if they had a mind of their own, her hands tangled themselves in his blond locks. He gasped and a second later she felt his tongue streak across her bottom lip. The sensation surprised her enough that she jerked her head back.

"I'm sorry," he said. He sounded out of breath. That was good because she was breathless too.

"No need to apologize. You just surprised me. I think… I liked it."

Even in the dark, she could see him smile.

"Do you want to try it again?" he asked shyly.

She _did_ want to, but that fact scared her enough that she shook her head no.

"But thank you," she whispered.

Peeta laughed softly. "Anytime, Katniss."

She nodded and ran back to her room where she laid awake in bed and stared at the ceiling.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Finally! Some answers and some progress.**


	19. Chapter 19

19

Although she wasn't sure if it was a great idea, Katniss met up with Gale in the woods on Sunday. He was already waiting for her in their regular meeting spot, and when he saw her, he jumped to his feet.

"I wasn't sure you'd show up," he said. His face appeared wary but hopeful. She noticed a green bruise on his jaw.

She shrugged. "I still have to feed my family, right?"

He was obviously waiting for her to talk about the day before, but that wasn't her plan. She collected her bow and led him to their familiar hunting grounds.

They didn't see many animals. Probably because it was an unseasonably cool day, but Katniss couldn't shake the strange idea that the tension between the two hunting partners was somehow scaring off the wildlife.

After almost two hours of fruitless hunting, Gale shot a fox, and when he leaned over to pick it up, Katniss's knife sailed through the air into the animal's hide, barely missing Gale's hand in its trajectory.

"Hey, watch it!" he cried.

"Oops," she said. "I thought I saw it move."

A look of understanding spread over his face.

"So that's how it's going to be, is it? Pretend you don't care about what happened yesterday but then stew in your anger until you 'accidentally' hurt me?"

And although that had been her strategy exactly, she shook her head.

"Who you choose to date is up to you," she replied coolly, but she couldn't look him in the eye.

"That wasn't 'dating,'" he responded flatly.

And with that, he succeeded in eliciting a scowl from her. Seemingly encouraged that she had finally shown some emotion over the matter, Gale moved closer to her, grabbing her elbows and holding her tight.

"Listen, Catnip, you have to know that Madge doesn't mean a fraction of what you mean to me—"

She laughed bitterly. "How is the idea of you using the closest thing I have to a girlfriend supposed to make me feel, Gale?"

He flinched and let her go, but when he spoke his voice was cold. "Madge knew exactly what she was getting into."

"Did she?" Katniss challenged. "Did you tell her what the lake house meant to me? To us? Because that was a long way to hike just for some privacy."

He sighed. "You have to believe me when I tell you that I honestly never intended for you to see that."

"But you wanted me to know about her, right? Or else you would have never brought her around the Hob. It was only a matter of time before someone said something to me. You _wanted_ to hurt me."

He didn't respond. Fed up with the conversation, Katniss turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm.

"Yes," he hissed. "I admit it. Yes, I wanted to hurt you. I wanted you to feel the same kind of pain I felt when you invited Peeta to live with you or when you brought him to the woods that Sunday."

"It's not remotely the same, Gale! I was trying to save his life! You know there's nothing going on between me and Peeta!"

For the first time in the whole argument, he looked contrite.

"I do know that. And I shouldn't have said what I did by the lake. I'm sorry about that."

She stared into his face and she knew that that was likely the only apology she would receive regarding the whole mess.

"I kissed Peeta last night."

She watched in perverse satisfaction as he released her arm and gritted his teeth in an attempt to control his temper.

"You just said there was nothing going on between you," he choked.

"There isn't." She narrowed her eyes and added sarcastically, "Peeta knew exactly what he was getting into."

She picked up her bow and her knife. "Let's get back to hunting."

They didn't talk about it again.

On Monday, Katniss found the school abuzz with rumors about Madge and Gale. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who had seen the two of them together last week. A lot of people were whispering and staring at her too – probably because most of them had thought her and Gale were a couple. They probably expected her to play the role of the jilted lover.

She ignored the whispers and simply stared straight ahead.

At lunchtime, she found Madge sitting alone at a new table, her shoulders hunched and her eyes focused on the food in front of her. Peeta and the rest of their old table were ignoring her – or rather, Peeta was ignoring her and the rest of them were whispering behind her back. Katniss caught words like "Hawthorne" and "slut." Yet when they saw Katniss, they waved her over to their table.

Something raw inside of Katniss flared and she sat down with a clatter next to Madge. The mayor's daughter stiffened and turned to face Katniss with wide eyes. Without looking at her tablemate, Katniss simply broke her sandwich in half and offered Madge the other half. Madge tentatively accepted it, looking as if she expected Katniss to spit on it or shove it into her face at any moment. Katniss nodded and started to eat the rest of her sandwich. After a moment, Madge offered Katniss half her sandwich as well, and Katniss accepted it silently.

Everyone in the cafeteria stared at them and gossiped unabatedly, but the two girls continued to eat in silence.

It was only after all their food was eaten, when Madge pulled out a book and Katniss pulled out her homework, that Madge said quietly, "I should have told you."

"Yes," replied Katniss, just as softly. "You should have."

Neither had looked up from their distractions.

"I'm sorry. It just all happened so fast, and I didn't even know how to characterize what was going on myself. I had no idea what to say."

"Regardless, you should have said something. That's not how I should have found out."

Madge nodded and appeared close to tears.

"You're mad," she said miserably, and Katniss nodded. "Then why sit here with me?"

Katniss paused before continuing quietly, "Because I'm not going to let them turn this into some sort of sordid love triangle. You asked about Gale and I told you there wasn't anything going on between us; if you wanted to be his girlfriend, you had every right to be."

Madge blushed. "I was never really Gale's girlfriend. And I'm pretty sure whatever we had going before is over now anyway."

Katniss narrowed her eyes slightly and for the first time looked up from her homework. "Because of these rumors? You're not ashamed of Gale, are you?"

Madge quickly attempted to correct her. "No, not at all, but… it was never going to be a long-term thing anyway." And the look on her face wasn't embarrassment but resigned sadness.

Katniss nodded and returned her eyes to her homework, but when she spoke again, her voice was significantly louder. "Good. You shouldn't be ashamed. Because those girls over there are just jealous; they would give up eating for a week for a kiss from Gale Hawthorne."

Madge blushed but smiled. The conversation ended there, but underneath the table, Madge grabbed Katniss's hand and squeezed it tight; after a split second, Katniss returned the squeeze.

On the way home from school that day, Katniss apologized to Peeta for not sitting with him at lunch.

"That table got a little too crowded for my taste."

"I think I understand," he said and, judging by the kind smile on his face, Katniss could tell he really did.


	20. Chapter 20

20

Katniss had to remind herself daily that the extension to their home was a good thing, that it would allow Peeta to move out of the living room and for her and her sister to move their bed out of their mother's room. She knew that they were fortunate that Peeta's older brothers could provide both the knowledge and labor to make the project viable. She _knew_ this. She repeated it in her mind like a mantra: good thing, good thing, good thing.

But it was still hard to remember. Because now that the construction project was actually underway, Peeta's brothers were always around. And they were driving her _crazy_.

Rye was actually a very good humored young man, and he only had sweet things to say to the Everdeen women. But he did his best to embarrass Peeta by teasing him mercilessly about Katniss, implying some sort of romance between them. Although Peeta had initially seemed irked by his brother's insinuations, he had lately been able to ignore him or at the very least dismiss his jokes with a smile or a roll of his eyes. But every time Katniss overheard Rye's comments, she blushed bright pink.

Katniss had worried that Peeta might develop some little crush on her after their ill-considered, late-night kiss, but – to her relief – he never once referred to the kiss or acted differently around her. She, on the other hand, could barely look at Peeta without remembering the feel of his tongue against her lips. It was both frustrating and mortifying, and she looked forward to the day when that memory would fade.

But as much as she sought to avoid Rye, the middle Mellark brother was undoubtedly worse company. If around Mrs. Everdeen or Prim, Oates was usually surly and sulky and loathe to say more than two words together, but around Peeta or Katniss he never shut up. Virtually every other word that spewed from his mouth was a complaint or an insult or a sarcastic remark.

Katniss was never so tempted in her life to resort to physical violence against a human being – and that included when she had drawn her bow on Gale. At one point, Peeta even grabbed her wrist to stop her from swinging a hammer in Oates's direction; she hadn't even been conscious of the decision to attack him.

About three weeks into the project, Katniss was helping Oates install drywall in the room that would one day be hers. Oates had been complaining about how coal dust was everywhere in the Seam and wondered how "you people" could live like this. Katniss gritted her teeth in an attempt to keep her bitter reply from escaping, but she gave up that attempt after his next abrupt question.

"So, any truth to the rumor I heard about Hawthorne taking up with the mayor's daughter?"

It wasn't the first time someone from school tried to talk to her about Gale and Madge, although most people had the good sense to realize Katniss wouldn't gossip about her friends. Plus, it seemed in the weeks since that first awkward Monday, the interest in the coupling had died down. Perhaps it was because both Gale and Madge seemed so cool and unperturbed even when confronted head-on by snide remarks or insults. Katniss thought it might also have to do with the fast-approaching reaping and the dark mood that had settled over the school. Gossip simply took a backseat to the realization that two of your classmates would very likely soon be dead.

"That's really none of your business," she replied curtly.

Oates just nodded as if Katniss had given him confirmation. "I thought as much, although I have to admit I was a little surprised. You'd think the mayor's daughter would have a little more class than to take up with someone like Hawthorne. What do you girls see in him anyway?"

There were so many things about that comment that piqued Katniss's ire, not least among them being the fact that Oates had seemingly lumped her in with girls who had fallen for Gale. But she refused to take his bait; instead, she turned the conversation back on Oates.

"Sounds like someone's a little jealous to me. What did Gale do? Steal one of your girlfriends?"

Oates's immediate scowl let her know she'd hit somewhere close to the mark, but he tried to sniff disinterestedly and replied, "Any girl that would be interested in Hawthorne would be a waste of my time. Hand me the hammer, will you?"

Katniss passed him the hammer with slightly more force than necessary. She hoped that might be the end of their conversation, but he hardly paused before continuing.

"So did something happen between you and my little brother?"

"Excuse me?" she squeaked.

"It's pretty obvious that you and Hawthorne are on the outs."

Katniss didn't reply, but part of her lamented the fact that the fight with her best friend was so obvious to the outside world. It was true that Katniss and Gale hadn't spent much time together outside of hunting on Sundays, but they were slowly working through the coldness between them. They had hurt each other, but they also knew that their relationship ran deeper than that. They still needed each other. They still cared about each other.

"Gale and Peeta were sporting matching bruises for a while. And I can't help but notice that they exchange glares every time they cross paths. So I'm wondering if maybe Hawthorne has a real reason to be jealous this time."

She noticed that Oates was watching her carefully for a reaction, and she fought to keep her voice flat.

"Peeta and I are just friends, Oates. That's all."

He continued to stare at her for a few moments, and his lips titled into a smirk when a blush spread across her cheeks.

"Huh," he muttered to himself. "I didn't think the boy had it in him."

* * *

><p>Madge and Katniss had continued to sit alone at their new lunch table. As they had before Peeta joined them, they spent most of their time in comfortable silence. In Katniss's opinion, it was a marked improvement over the crowded chatter of the old table.<p>

But sometimes they would share things with each other. Katniss found herself occasionally ranting about the elder Mellark brothers, and she proudly shared the story of Prim saving the goat with the infected leg. Madge asked her about medicines that might help her mother's headaches, and talked about some changes her father was considering making in the district. Madge confessed that she missed Peeta's baked goods, so whenever he made a fresh batch, Katniss made sure to bring some in to share. They didn't mention Gale.

One day Madge casually asked Katniss to come over to her house after school. Katniss thought it was a strange request, as they had never been the sort of friends to hang out together, but the invite had a premeditated feel to it. Katniss didn't feel as if she could say no.

Except for perhaps the mansions in the mostly empty Victor's Village, the mayor's house was the largest and most elegant in the whole district. Katniss was intimidated by the shiny, imported hardwood and the marble columns and gold trim. But when she knocked on the door, the mayor himself opened it and he seemed pleased to see her, despite her coal-dusted clothes.

"Madge told me she invited a friend over. It's nice to see you again, Katniss."

She was surprised that the mayor knew her name, but she knew she shouldn't be; she and Gale had sold strawberries to the mayor for years. After the incident in the woods, Gale implied that she should take over this part of their route completely, but she had refused. If Gale wouldn't admit he had done anything wrong then he had no excuse to avoid Madge. Plus, Katniss had a feeling that if Gale tried to avoid all the merchants whose daughters he had messed around with, they wouldn't have many customers left.

"Katniss!" cried Madge, coming down the stairs. "I'm so glad you made it." She didn't say that she feared she wouldn't show up, but Katniss heard the relief in her voice.

Madge led her up to her room. She had barely closed the door behind Katniss when she asked, "Do you know anyone who does abortions?"

Katniss blinked in surprise before turning her wide-eyed gaze to Madge's flat stomach.

Madge nodded in response to her unspoken question.

"I'm sure. My housekeeper helped me buy a test from the apothecary." Her blue eyes filled with tears. "I can't have a baby, Katniss. I can't. My parents would kick me out of the house. They would _kill_ Gale. Or maybe just toss him in the stocks. And Gale and I… we…" Her voice faded into silence as she fought to keep her tears from falling.

"Does – does Gale know?"

Madge shook her head. "We haven't even spoken to each other since that day in the woods." She looked into Katniss's eyes seriously. "And there's no need for him to know if I'm not going to have this baby."

Katniss wasn't sure she agreed with that.

"The Widow Edmonds," Katniss croaked and took the time to clear her throat before continuing. "She helps girls take care of things down in the Seam." Sadly, unwanted pregnancies weren't an uncommon problem; not many could afford an extra mouth to feed. "I can take you there tomorrow after school if you want."

"I would appreciate that," Madge whispered, nodding. "Tomorrow then." She looked both relieved and sick at the same time.

Katniss had no idea what her own face looked like.


	21. Chapter 21

21

After school, Katniss took Madge down to the edge of the Seam where the Widow Edmonds lived in a black-smudged shack even smaller than the Everdeen home. She wasn't sure if Madge wanted her to stay – or if _she_ wanted to stay – but Madge grabbed her hand and she figured she didn't have much of a choice.

"How far along are you?" the widow asked. Katniss thought she probably didn't see many townies down here, but the woman's eyes were kind instead of judgmental.

"Six weeks, I think." Katniss counted backwards in her head. The day in the woods had been four weeks ago. Madge must have followed her train of thought because she blushed. "We used protection. Every time but the first time."

Katniss swallowed back bile, but she attempted to keep her face expressionless.

Widow Edmonds told her that six weeks was early enough to abort without any suction or scraping. Katniss didn't know how suction or scraping would have been involved, and she really didn't want to. She cleared the house when her mother and Prim worked on anything more serious than a cold; she wanted to support Madge, but she didn't think she could be present for a procedure like that.

The widow mixed a concoction and explained what to expect when it started to work: bleeding, pelvic cramps, and pain in her abdomen and lower back. After doing so, she asked Madge if she had any questions. When the girl shook her head, the widow left the two girls alone at the table. Madge stared at the cup of herbs.

"Tell me, Katniss," croaked Madge. "Honestly. What would you do?"

Katniss didn't even pause.

"I'd take the draught." As frightening as the idea of an abortion was, having a child was much more terrifying to her.

Madge's hands shook as she lifted the cup. She had just touched it to her lips when she slammed the drink down on the table, threw some coins down next to it, and ran out the door. Katniss followed her to find her friend sobbing against the trunk of a tree. Katniss sat down gingerly next to her and waited for her to talk.

"Do you think I'm a fool?"

Katniss shook her head. "I think you're brave."

Madge chuckled bitterly. "Sometimes brave is just another word for fool. I – I have no idea what I'm going to do, but I just can't… I can't hurt this baby. It didn't do anything wrong. It's half me and it's half him, and I just can't kill it."

She broke down in tears again. And this time Katniss reached over and pulled the girl into her arms. She didn't tell her it would be okay; not when she wasn't sure it would be. But she did kiss Madge's blond hair and rock her back and forth until the girl calmed down.

"Come with me to my house. My mother's a healer; she has some good teas and pills for pregnancies."

"But then she'll know."

Katniss rolled her eyes, but when she spoke her voice was gentle. "This isn't a secret you can keep forever, Madge. Besides, would you rather go to the apothecary in town? My mother will be discreet. I promise."

Madge wiped her eyes and nodded.

When they arrived at the Everdeen house, Peeta and Prim were finishing up a game of chess and Mrs. Everdeen was washing dishes.

"You missed dinner," said Mrs. Everdeen disapprovingly, and when she turned around to face her daughter and the friend that accompanied her, she started. "Oh."

"Yeah," said Katniss. "I brought a customer." She turned to Madge. "Do you want to maybe talk to my mom in the back?"

Madge glanced nervously at Peeta and Prim, but she shook her head.

"It's not a secret I can keep forever, right? I need some teas. And pills. For pregnancy."

Peeta turned pale, and Prim's eyes grew concerned.

There was a slight pause before Mrs. Everdeen replied smoothly, "Of course, dear. Come sit down and let's talk about it."

Mrs. Everdeen asked her some of the same questions about far along Madge was in the pregnancy. She explained how nutrition was so important to the baby; the pills would help, but she had to watch what she ate. Leafy greens were good, but she should stay away from unpasteurized foods like goat cheese. The teas she gave her would help with the nausea that accompanied the beginnings of most pregnancies.

Mrs. Everdeen asked Madge if she had any questions and the girl shrugged helplessly. She told Madge that she could come back at any time if she thought of anything. She hesitated before asking gently if Madge had told the father yet, and Madge blushed.

"I'll talk to him soon."

Afterwards, Katniss offered to walk Madge back. Madge was so distracted that she didn't recognize Katniss was leading her in the opposite direction of town. When Madge realized they were standing in front of the Hawthorne place, she froze.

"I'm not ready yet, Katniss. I can't tell him."

"You have to."

Madge shook her head and pleaded, "Maybe you can do it for me."

Katniss took her friend by the shoulders.

"Madge, this isn't even the hard part. If you're serious about this baby, you need to start doing the responsible thing."

Madge didn't reply, but she swallowed and nodded her consent.

When they knocked, Gale opened the door. For a moment, he seemed pleasantly surprised to see Katniss. When he noticed Madge standing behind her, looking small and scared, the slight upturn of his lips disappeared.

"You two have a lot to talk about," said Katniss.

She left them standing awkwardly on the front porch and headed home.

* * *

><p>Katniss found Gale in the woods early the next morning. He was sitting on a rock overlooking the ravine, his arms resting on the top of his knees. He looked like he had been there for a while. Though she had approached quietly, he spoke to her without even looking behind himself to confirm her presence.<p>

"Just say it."

"How could you be so careless, Gale?" She couldn't help the anger from seeping into her voice. "A baby. A _baby_, Gale! How could you do this to Madge? To your family? To yourself?" She bit her tongue to prevent her from adding herself to that list. She was the least of anyone who would be injured by this pregnancy.

"And it's not like there's ever a good time or situation to bring life into this district – what with the lack of food and the reaping and knowing that everything you have could be taken away by the Capitol's whim – but _now_? With you two as parents? You weren't even talking to each other! How the hell are you going to be parents?"

Gale didn't answer, but his head sunk lower as if weighted down by her harsh words.

Her anger finally giving way to sympathy, Katniss sat down next to him. She barely whispered her next words: "What are you going to do, Gale?"

"What can I do? I never meant for this happen, but I can't ignore my responsibility. I won't." He paused. "When the school year ends, I can get a job in the mines. I can support them then."

"Are – are you going to marry Madge?"

Gale laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "I doubt the mayor would ever allow that. Or maybe he'll force me to marry Madge. I don't know. Either way, it won't really be my choice."

They sat silently, watching the morning mist that gathered in the ravine dissipate into the sunny day, before Gale said quietly, "I guess this means I've lost you forever."

Katniss reached out and squeezed his hand.

"No, Gale, I'm not going anywhere. You know that I'll always be your friend."

But his heartbroken expression made her feel that instead of reassuring him, her words only confirmed his fears.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks to all those who have responded to the story so far! Your compliments and words of encouragement really do encourage me to work on the next chapter. We're actually nearing the end here; I estimate about three chapters left, although I have plenty of outtakes left. There are so many juicy scenes in this story that Katniss hasn't been privy to - conversations between Peeta and Gale, Gale and Madge, and Peeta and his brothers - and I think you guys will probably enjoy them.**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Many of you were really missing Peeta's presence in the last two chapters. This chapter's for you, and it's a longer one.**

* * *

><p>22<p>

Mrs. Everdeen walked in the front door with a basket full of wet laundry to find Katniss sitting around the kitchen table with Peeta and Rye. The trio was sipping tall glasses of iced tea and munching on a fresh batch of raspberry scones.

She greeted them with a smile. "Are you guys done already?"

Katniss nodded. "We're celebrating." Despite their sweaty, paint-smeared clothes and tired limbs, the boys boasted proud smiles and even Katniss felt her lips curl upward. The sensation felt almost foreign.

She hadn't had much to smile about lately. On top of the drama of Madge's pregnancy, the reaping was scheduled for the end of the week. It would be the first reaping for which Prim was eligible, and the sensitive young girl had been having nightmares all week. Katniss wished she could do more than sing her sister back to sleep; she wished she could protect her from the horror of the Hunger Games. But though Katniss was resourceful enough to feed her family from the age of 12, though she was tough enough to survive the dangers of the woods, though she was determined enough to save the boy with the bread, when faced with the might and will of the Capitol, she was powerless. And she knew it.

But in this moment, Katniss put aside thoughts of the reaping and even her friends' pressing dilemma. Today the extension to their home was finally complete and the elder Mellark brothers would be out of her hair for the foreseeable future. It was definitely something worth smiling about.

"You're celebrating without Prim?" asked Mrs. Everdeen. "You know she can't say no to Peeta's baked goods."

"She had two already," grinned Katniss. "But she left us to go out back and milk Lady."

"Oates was here earlier, too," added Peeta, "but he had some sort of job to go on with his future father-in-law."

Oates had actually surprised Peeta with a bed for his new room. Apparently, it was something he had been handcrafting in his spare time for months. Despite this proof that Oates was, in fact, not completely awful, Katniss wasn't sorry to see him take off early.

"Oh. I had no idea Oates was engaged. He's so young," said Mrs. Everdeen strangely.

Rye shrugged. "He's been with Hettie since they were 15. There's definitely an understanding between them; if there wasn't, Old Man Werner wouldn't have taken him on as an apprentice. But I think they're actually waiting until after the reaping to make it formal. So they both know they're safe."

Just mentioning the reaping put a damper on the conversation.

"So, have you figured out what you're going to do with the second room yet?" asked Rye after an awkward pause.

Katniss nodded. "Prim and I will take it."

"So you'll be sleeping in the room next to Peeta then?" said Rye slyly, raising his eyebrow at his younger brother. "How convenient."

Katniss blushed and she took another swallow of her iced tea. Oh, she was _so_ glad the extension was done.

"Don't you need to get going yourself?" hinted Peera.

"I guess I do," sighed Rye. "I told Franklin I'd be back by noon. Have fun breaking in that bed, okay, Peeta?"

Peeta scowled at his older brother, and swiped away his arm when Rye tried to ruffle his hair. After Rye walked away laughing, Peeta shot a pleading look at Mrs. Everdeen, who was already staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll be in my room. Setting things up. If you need me." He retreated quickly.

Katniss swallowed down the rest of her tea and was about to head out back to spend time with Prim when Mrs. Everdeen cleared her throat.

"Katniss, do you have time to talk?"

Katniss nodded distractedly. "About what?"

"Sex."

Well, that caught her attention. Katniss blushed furiously.

"Mom, we really don't need to have this conversation," she insisted, jumping to her feet. "Rye trying to tease Peeta. There's nothing—"

"No, sit. We really _do_ need to have this conversation," interrupted Mrs. Everdeen firmly. "We should have had it a while ago, but… you've always been so responsible and independent. After your father died and I… you took care of us. I know that and I'm grateful for it. But sometimes I felt like I had lost the right to act like your parent."

In some ways, Katniss thought she had. Her mother allowed herself to wallow in depression while her daughters starved to death. At the first sign that she was returning to life, Prim had accepted her with open arms, but Katniss's forgiveness was far harder to earn. And her mother knew it.

"But Madge's pregnancy has been a wakeup call," continued Mrs. Everdeen. "If I stayed quiet, I'd be doing you an additional disservice. So I'm stepping up to act like the mother you deserve."

Katniss might have appreciated this sentiment were it not attached to a conversation about sex.

"I'm not going to get pregnant. I'm not having sex," she burst out.

"I'm glad to hear that, Katniss," said Mrs. Everdeen, "but I'm not naïve enough to believe that you'll never have sex. Or that you'll come talk to me before you think you're ready."

This was torture. "I know about… the mechanics. Of sex. And about protection," grumbled Katniss. "They taught us in health class."

"Well, that's good. But what about the emotional part of sex?"

Katniss gave her a strange look. "I don't get emotional."

Her mother sighed.

"I just want you to realize that love and lust are different things. They can occur at the same time or separately."

"I've never felt either," grumbled Katniss. But as soon as she said it, she flashed back to the feeling of Peeta's lips moving against hers. She remembered feeling something warm, something akin to hunger, in the pit of her stomach. Had that been lust?

"Lust can be desperate and needy. It can feel overwhelming. But love is more subtle. When you're in love with someone, you care about them. You enjoy spending time with them. They make you want to be a better person. The whole world can come crashing down around you and it's okay if you still have them by your side."

The sad look on her mother's face told Katniss that she must be thinking of her father. Which must mean that the converse of her mother's statement was also true: if you lose the one you love, then it doesn't matter what happens to the rest of the world.

Katniss shook her head. She refused to open herself up to that pain.

"I never want to love anyone."

Her mother examined the stern lines of her daughter's face.

"I'll be honest: I don't think you're ready for a boyfriend, let alone sex."

"I'm not _interested_ in those things. I—"

"But," continued Mrs. Everdeen, "just in case, I've already had a chat with Peeta, too."

Katniss gasped. "You didn't."

"I did," she confirmed with a decisive nod. "He's a teenaged boy living under my roof. It would be irresponsible not to say anything to him. It was for his sake more than yours."

Katniss winced and laid her head down on the table.

"Okay. I guess that's enough for today. I'm going to go hang this laundry out to dry. If you have questions – now or at any time in the future – you just come and talk to me, okay?"

Katniss might have managed a nod. She listened to her mother's footsteps and the creak of the backdoor as it opened and shut. She tried to keep her mind blank and not to think about her mother having a discussion with Peeta about sex. She heard the click of one of the new doors opening and familiar clod of Peeta's footsteps; she barely raised her red face to look at him.

"Oh," he said sympathetically. "I see she gave you the talk too, huh?"

Katniss didn't bother responding. She just groaned and buried her face deeper into her arms.

"Bet your talk wasn't as awkward as mine."

"Please," she begged. "Let's never speak of this again."

He chuckled gently. "I guess it's been a rough week for you."

Katniss only snorted.

He hesitated. "Listen, I have this idea. It may make you feel a little better about certain things."

At his cryptic statement, Katniss raised her head from her arms and offered him a questioning look. He glanced nervously towards the porch, where Mrs. Everdeen could faintly be heard humming to herself as she hung up the laundry to dry.

"Okay," said Katniss. "Let's take a walk to the meadow. I need to get out of the house anyway."

Peeta was uncharacteristically quiet and fidgety on the walk over, but Katniss didn't have the energy to wonder why. Instead, she took in the sights and sounds of the district: the young kids chasing each other and shouting, the twittering mockingjays swooping through the open sky, the distant clanking of mine machinery. She wondered if it was possible to love and hate a place at the same time.

For some reason unknown to her, Gale's face popped into her mind at the thought.

They reached the meadow and made themselves comfortable on the large hollow log at the south end. Katniss waited for Peeta to begin.

"Before I tell you my idea, I need to ask you something. And I need you to promise to think about it carefully." She nodded, and he took a deep breath.

"Do you think there's any chance that one day, years from now even, that you could love me?"

Katniss's eyes grew wide. She opened her mouth, but he charged forward.

"I know you don't love me now, but you have to know I'm crazy about you, Katniss. I have been since I first laid eyes on you. And since that day you saved me from the nightlock, my feelings have only grown deeper. You're no longer just this beautiful, unattainable siren; you're the girl who dances and sings like an angel but shoots like an assassin. The girl who doesn't mind stinking up the district with badger musk, but can't be around when her mother treats an injury. The girl who feeds her whole family and sings her little sister back to sleep after nightmares. The girl who takes care of her pregnant friend but can't help blushing when anyone mentions sex."

He sighed. "I just need to know if there's any chance that you might one day return my feelings."

Her shock slowly eased into anxiety. How had she not seen this? And how was this supposed to make her feel better? Because right now she felt like the stupidest, cruelest person on the planet. It was Gale all over again. If Peeta thought he knew her so well, couldn't see he see how impossible this was for her?

"Peeta," and the way his face fell when she just said his name indicated he knew what she was going to say. "I'm so sorry. It's not you. You're an incredible person and any girl would be lucky to have you. But I never plan on loving anyone like that. I don't think I have it in me."

"I figured that would be your answer." Peeta looked heartbroken, but he squared his shoulders. "But I had to know for sure before I told you about my idea to make things better for Madge and Gale." Katniss was still reeling from his revelation when he said, "I could marry Madge."

"What?" She figured she must have misunderstood him.

"If she'll have me, of course. I don't even know if it's something she'd want, but it makes sense. The mayor likes me, and Madge's parents probably wouldn't oppose her marrying me as much as they would Gale. And I don't have a whole family to support like Gale does; it would be easier for me to take care of Madge and the baby. Perhaps being the mayor's son-in-law would help me get more catering jobs. But even if that didn't happen, if I could go into business with Greasy Sae, I could still forage in the woods, and I could take out more tesserae; I'd make sure Madge and the baby stay fed. This way, no one is risking life or limb, and the baby would at least have a father. It's the best possible outcome to the situation."

"No." Her voice was hard and angry. "This isn't your responsibility; you need to let Madge and Gale figure this out for themselves."

"I wouldn't be making any decision for either of them," Peeta insisted. "I just thought they should know I'm willing to do it. After all, it's the logical solution. Madge's parents likely wouldn't disown her, and Gale would be free. If, you know, one day… anyway, it's better for everyone this way."

"Not for you! Unless…" Madge _was_ the mayor's daughter. She was beautiful and smart and sensible (at least usually). "Do you – do you have feelings for Madge?"

Peeta looked hurt. "Of course not! There's only one girl I love, but she just said she could never love me back!"

"Are you doing this for me? Do you think this is something _I'd _want?"

"Well, I'm certainly not doing it for Gale," he grumbled with a scowl. "I thought you'd be happy with the idea."

She jumped to her feet, needing to distance herself from the boy for fear she would slap him.

"Happy with the idea of you tying yourself to a girl you don't love?"

Peeta shrugged and she could tell he was struggling to keep himself together. "You're the only girl I'll ever love, and if I can't have you, it doesn't really matter who I marry."

She scowled and began pacing back and forth.

"That's ridiculous. You're just 16; you can't possibly know how you'll feel for the rest of his life."

He chuckled.

"Yeah, well, you're 16, too; by your logic, you can't know how you'll feel in the future either."

She froze in place and then slowly nodded.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I don't know."

Was it possible? Could she ever find herself in love with the boy with the bread? He held Prim's hand on the way to school. He was considerate and resourceful. Loyal and self-sacrificing to a fault. A good kisser too. She thought herself incapable of love, or maybe she just hoped she was. But what if she was wrong?

If she did ever fall in love, she knew could do a whole lot worse than Peeta Mellark.

"You don't believe that," scoffed Peeta after a short pause. Despite his words, she could see him fighting back a hopeful expression.

She needed to encourage that hope. Katniss sat down on the log and leaned in slowly to kiss Peeta on the corner of his mouth. Her pressure was feather-light, barely a kiss at all, but again she felt a warm tingling in her stomach.

"Don't do it, Peeta," she whispered. "Just in case either one of us is wrong, okay?"

He nodded reluctantly as a dazzling smile stole gradually over his face.

* * *

><p><strong>AN 2: Some of you have asked if I'll be writing any additional fiction in addition to the outtakes. Quite probably I will. I don't necessarily have another story in mind right now, but writing this story has been an enjoyable experience and I wouldn't mind playing around with these characters some more. If interested, you can put me on author alert.**

**And, as always, thanks so much to those who have left reviews. Although I don't reply to many, I read them all and really do appreciate everything from the constructive criticism to the positive encouragement. **


	23. Chapter 23

23

The sky was sunny and clear, and a light breeze kept the late summer heat from being oppressive. But then, reaping days usually were beautiful, as if the Capitol had engineered the weather to suit. Katniss wasn't quite sure they hadn't.

The reaping was held in the square, which had been decorated in bright banners, and flower garlands hung like streamers on the edge of the temporary stage built outside the Justice Building. It was intended to have a festive feel, but instead it felt macabre. Katniss couldn't help thinking that the cameras crews, perched like vultures on rooftops, added to the effect. Apparently it was important to capture for posterity the devastation of the two families whose children would be reaped today – revenge for the districts' rebellion against the Capitol almost three-quarters of a century ago.

All the ceremony around the Capitol's unapologetic thirst for blood made her sick to her stomach, and Katniss couldn't worrying about all the tesserae that had been taken out between her and Gale. Even Peeta now. And Prim only had one slip among thousands, but one was all it took.

After the mayor delivered a half-hearted speech about the Dark Days and the purpose of the games, after the only surviving Hunger Games victor from District 12 practically fell off the stage drunk, when B-List celebrity and District 12 escort, Effie Trinket, took to the stage insisting "Ladies first!" and pulled a name out of the glass bowl, it wasn't Katniss or Prim.

It was Madge Undersee.

The mayor cried out, but two armed Peacekeepers stepped in front of him, and he could only stare with a stricken face as his only daughter walked slowly towards the stage.

Madge, who only had five chances among thousands. Five. The odds should have been in her favor. But Katniss flashed back to the expressions on the faces of those visiting education officials from Capitol and she wondered if this wasn't a case of longshot odds after all.

Kaniss watched the ribbons on Madge's beautiful white dress flap in the breeze, and she couldn't help but think that this solved everyone's problems. Madge never had to come clean with her father, and Gale wouldn't have to worry about another mouth to feed. Because Madge was going to die in the arena. Her and her baby. Gale's baby.

"I volunteer!" And even Katniss was surprised by the sound of her own voice. "I volunteer as tribute!"

Shock descended over the crowd as Katniss ran to the stage. Although volunteers were common in the well-fed districts like 1, 2, and 4, in the outlying districts like 12, "tribute" was pretty much equivalent with "sacrifice," and volunteers were virtually unheard of. No one on stage even knew the protocol for such an event, and they muttered confusedly among themselves.

"Katniss, no," whispered Madge, a horrified expression on her face. But it was too late to back out now. Katniss squeezed her hand before she gently pushed the girl aside and stepped onto the stage. She stared out above the heads of the crowd. She didn't want to risk seeing the faces of anyone she cared about; she didn't need that invitation to cry. When these reapings were replayed, she refused to have tears mark her as an easy target.

"Well, bravo! That's the spirit of the games," cheered Effie. "And what's your name?"

Before she could answer, the mayor did so for her.

"Katniss Everdeen," he announced, and he said her name as if she were the most cherished prize of the entire district. He clasped her shoulders, his own tears barely withheld.

"Well, we can't let her hog all the fun, can we? On to the male tribute!"

As Effie reached in to pull the boy's name out of the bowl, Katniss prayed that it wouldn't be anyone she knew.

And it wasn't. It was Denim Whittier, some poor scrawny Seam boy that looked to be only 13.

It was a tragedy for him and his family, but Katniss couldn't help being relieved. That boy probably wouldn't even make it out of the Cornucopia. He was no threat to her; she probably wouldn't even have to kill him.

But that small relief was obliterated when Peeta volunteered.

If the district had been shocked before, they were even more so now. Many of them knew Peeta – from his time in the bakery, his role in the school concert, or his baked goods at the Hob. Most of those knew him as Katniss's friend. Some even knew he lived with her.

Katniss couldn't understand why he did it, and she couldn't stop herself from shooting him a watery glare. He didn't say anything as he marched onto the stage, but he looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Another brave volunteer! How special! And who might you be, young man?"

"Peeta Mellark," he responded and his eyes never left Katniss's face.

"Wonderful! Just wonderful! Let's have a big round of applause for our newest tributes!"

To the credit of the population of District 12, no one applauded. In the boldest form of dissent they could manage, they stood silently and, one after another, they kissed the three middle fingers of their left hand and held it out to the two 16 year-olds. It was an old and barely used district gesture. It meant thanks, it meant admiration, it meant goodbye to someone truly loved.

The two were asked to shake hands, and Katniss wanted to decline. But the eyes of Panem were on them, and she refused to appear emotional. He squeezed her hand in what was probably supposed to be a reassuring signal, but there was no way Katniss could be comforted.

Quickly, they were led to two separate rooms of the Justice Building. They had one hour to say goodbye to those they care about. One hour and then they would be on a train, speeding toward the Capitol.

The mayor arrived first.

"Thank you for stepping in for Madge." He paused in order to gain control of his breaking voice. "I'll never be able to repay you for saving my daughter's life."

Katniss only nodded, although she knew she didn't do it for him.

"I'll watch out for your family," he promised. "I'll make sure they're okay."

Katniss smiled. She hadn't expected that kindness.

"Thank you," she whispers.

The mayor nodded and was about to leave when Katniss grabbed his arm.

"And Madge. Just remember to love and support her."

He nodded again, a little confused, but he promised and squeezed her hand before she released him.

Almost as soon as he left, Madge threw herself through the doors and enveloped Katniss in a hug. Katniss was quite aware that the only time they had ever hugged before was when Madge was sobbing hysterically against that tree.

"You shouldn't have volunteered," Madge uttered against Katniss's neck. "I didn't deserve to be saved. My life is over anyway."

But Katniss grabbed her and shook her.

"Your life is just beginning, Madge."

"Katniss—"

"I mean it, Madge. I know you. You're going to stand tall and proud, because you don't let what people say get to you. You're strong and you're brave, so that even when you're scared, you're going to do the right thing. You're going to have this baby and be the best mother you can be. Tell me, Madge. Tell me you're going to love your baby."

"I already love it," she croaked.

Katniss relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Listen, they let you wear a token in the arena, something to remind you of home, of what you have to fight for. Take this." Madge removed something small and gold from her lapel.

"Your pin?"

Madge nodded. "My mother gave it to me. And when you come back, you can make sure my baby gets it."

Katniss nodded. The pin looked to be valuable – maybe worth enough to feed a family for two weeks – but she didn't fight her friend. She figured that if she didn't make it, they'd probably send it home with her body anyway.

"Time's up," called a Peacemaker.

Madge nodded. "Thanks for being my friend, Katniss." And then she was gone.

Her mother and Prim came next, and her little sister threw herself at Katniss much in the way Madge had. Katniss's sight immediately grew blurry from unshed tears.

"I'm sorry," she told them. "I'm so sorry. I just couldn't let Madge and her baby be sent to death. Volunteering was the only thing I could do. Don't hate me."

"Oh, Katniss, we hate that you're here, but we could never hate you," exclaimed Prim. "We love you. So much."

"You did what you thought you had to," said her mother. "I wouldn't expect anything less of you, Katniss. It's who you are. You save people."

"You're a _hero_. You're _my_ hero. And you're going to find your way home. Promise me you'll try," begged Prim.

"I promise. I'll try."

Of course she would try, but there would be 24 kids in that arena – some of whom had been training for the games their whole lives – and only one of them was coming out alive.

Katniss cleared her throat, and her voice grew hard. "And you need to try. No matter what happens in that arena. You can't let it get to you; you have to stay together." She punctuated this with a hard look at her mother, who turned her face away guiltily.

"It won't be easy without having me bring home game, but, if you're careful, you should be able to get by with just the healing and Prim's cheese. If things ever get tough, if you ever need anything, go to Gale. Or even the mayor. They'll help you. I wish Peeta could be there too—"

Peeta. Her voice gave out and her tears finally spilled down her cheeks. She knew there was no way she would ever be able to kill him. She wiped her tears away quickly and tried to remind herself that crying was not an option. The train station would be crawling with cameras.

"Peeta did what he had to do, Katniss," said Prim softly. "Just like you."

Katniss wanted to contradict her, but the Peacekeeper came in to escort them away. She kissed each of them and told them she loved them one last time before they were taken from her.

Gale entered her room at last. He seemed to hesitate at her door, but Katniss rushed to embrace him. He smelled of wood smoke, and she could feel his heart beating quickly against her own.

"You can do this, Katniss. You know how to hunt and how to survive. You can come home." He began giving her advice on knives and getting her hands on a bow, but his words started to fail him as his emotions took over. He stroked her hair.

"You shouldn't have done it," he managed to whisper, but she shook her head.

"I couldn't let Madge die. I couldn't let your baby die."

He groaned.

"You're going to do right by her, Gale. You're going to care for your baby, and you're going to make sure my mother and sister don't starve."

"Of course I will."

She heard the footsteps outside the hall, and she grabbed the front of his shirt. "Promise me, Gale," she begged.

"I promise. I'll take care of Madge and the baby. I'll watch over your family."

Two Peacekeepers came in that time and told Katniss it was time to go. Gale ignored them and refused to let Katniss out of his arms until they forcefully wrenched his hands away.

"You can make it home, Katniss! You need to make it home!"

The Peacekeepers had already begun to escort Katniss out of the room, when he called out, "And when you see Mellark you can tell that he turned out to be the better man after all."

The Peacekeepers led Katniss to the waiting train, and she tried hard to compose her face into an emotionless mask for the reporters and their cameras. When she saw Peeta standing on the train platform and giving her a beseeching look, she turned coldly away from him.

As soon as the train door closed behind them, Peeta grabbed her arm and wouldn't let her go, even when she beat his chest and told him she hated him over and over.

"How could you do that?" she sobbed. "How could you throw your life away?"

"I had to do it," he insisted. "The only way I can help you is in that arena. No one needs me here. I'm a burden to my family and yours. Without you, my life is meaningless."

Katniss gasped. "How can you say that after all you've managed to do? After all _I've_ done to keep you alive?"

Tears streamed down his face as he choked out, "That's exactly the point. I wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for you."

"Peeta, if this is about some sense of what's owed between us—"

"No," he insisted. "No, it's what you explained to me before. You – you're special, Katniss, and not just to me. You're needed here. What kind of a person would I be if I didn't do everything in my power to help you?" She felt her stomach turn as her own words were echoed back to her. "If sacrificing my life means that you have a greater chance of making it home, then it's worth it."

"You aren't doing me any favors by sacrificing yourself!" She pushed him away, and when she looked at him her eyes were cold as steel. "I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you, Peeta Mellark."

Peeta swallowed and shook his head sadly.

"I can live with that, as long as you live."


	24. Chapter 24

Epilogue: Two Months Later

Katniss admired the bright autumn colors on display in the woods outside District 12 and breathed in the wood smoke-scented air, happy to simply be alive. For a second, she felt her mind slipping to the tributes who had died in order for her to be here, but she willed away the gloom that threatened to overtake her. Enjoying her life was a much more appropriate way to honor their memories.

And today, she vowed, would be a joyous day.

When she arrived home from the woods – if that big Victor's mansion could even be called home – she was greeted by her little sister, clad in a beautiful blue bridesmaid dress that brought out the sparkling color of her wide eyes.

"You're not ready at all!" cried Prim, her mouth open in a perfect 'O' of horror.

Katniss kissed her sister on the top of her head.

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life."

After washing and dressing hastily, she and Prim made their way to the Justice Building, where their mother was already helping to set things up. Camera crews and reporters skulked outside the building, which had been transformed by large amounts of tulle and white roses from a stern concrete structure into something almost cheerful. When they spotted Katniss, the reporters burst into excited commotion.

She gave the cameras a half-hearted wave and smile but didn't pause as she walked swiftly inside.

"So sorry!" she called in what she hoped was not an obviously insincere manner. "I can't be late for the ceremony!"

As she passed under the rose-covered trellis outside the front door, she tried not to gag at the sweet floral smell. She resigned herself to the fact that she'd probably never enjoy the smell of roses again.

Katniss heard him as soon as she walked through the doors, and she separated from Prim to follow the sound of his low curses. They led her to the room where she said goodbye to her family and friends after the reaping. The memories threatened to overwhelm her, and she hesitated a couple seconds before she pushed through the heavy door.

She found Gale wearing a shiny black tuxedo and looking quite handsome – if irate – as he scowled into a mirror and struggled with his tie. Katniss thought it was probably the first time in his life that he had ever worn one.

"Need any help there? You look lost."

He growled and gave his tie a frustrated tug. She walked over to help him tie it. It was one way to put all that knot tying practice to use.

"I have no idea what I'm doing here, Catnip," he confessed sullenly.

"You're doing the right thing," she said firmly. She reached onto her tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek. "You're going to be a great father."

Gale's future father-in-law walked in then and said coldly, "We're about ready to start." But his stern face broke into a large grin when he saw Katniss standing next to Gale.

"There's my favorite Victor!" Mayor Undersee said happily. "Madge said you'd arrive just in time."

Katniss nodded and gave Gale's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before she linked arms with the mayor and let him lead her to the main courtroom where the ceremony would take place.

Prim, Rory, and Gale's friend, Thom, were already waiting for her.

"Cutting it close, aren't you, Katniss?" teased Rory.

Katniss shrugged. "I made it, didn't I?" she responded, just as organ music filled the hall.

Prim took Rory's hand. Katniss narrowed her eyes in in suspicion when Rory blushed scarlet as the pretty blond girl smiled up at him and began to walk him down the aisle.

The whole elaborate ceremony with bridesmaids and groomsmen and formal clothing and processions was a Capitol import. In District 12, things were usually much simpler. Couples usually wore the cleanest non-mining outfits they owned – or could rent. After filling out some forms at the Justice Building and being assigned a house, the couple crossed the threshold of their new home while family and friends sang a special song. Then, after the couple made their first fire, they toasted a bit of bread and shared it. As far as any celebration went, guests might gather to share a meal or bit of cake, if it could be afforded.

But with all the cameras that would be covering the wedding of the two best friends of "the Girl on Fire," the mayor had insisted on many concessions to Capitol tastes. Since the reaping he had been careful to tone down his overt displays of district pride.

But Katniss had spied the mayor leaving Haymitch's house several times in the middle of the night, and it made her wonder how sincere his recent efforts to appease the Capitol really were.

Her cue was given and Katniss took to the aisle alongside Thom. She then stood at the altar and watched Mayor Undersee walk his daughter down the same path. Madge had never looked more beautiful, and the wedding dress Cinna had designed hid her small baby bump perfectly. Her face looked perfectly composed and only her paleness signaled that she was feeling more nervous than usual.

* * *

><p>At the reception, Katniss leaned against a far wall and watched Gale and Madge sit down at a table at the head of the room. They looked stiff and a little awkward as cameras flashed around them.<p>

She heard the clod-clod-clod of approaching footsteps and smiled. She moved aside just as Peeta's arms were trying to wrap themselves around her.

"You know you're too loud to sneak up on anyone, Peeta."

"I got close. I would have been able to grab you were it not for this thing," he lamented, tapping his fake leg.

"Please." She rolled her eyes. "Even before the new leg you were never quiet. You only got close because I let you get close."

He chuckled and pulled her into an embrace anyway. "And I can't tell you how happy I am that you let me get close." He kissed her neck and she felt that warm stirring in her stomach.

"You promised me a dance," he whispered in her ear.

She nodded distractedly. "Later. I just want to watch for a moment." He followed her line of sight to see Gale scowling and adjusting his tie. The groom looked obviously awkward and uncomfortable in his black tux.

"He still loves you, you know," Peeta said softly.

Katniss took a few moments to process that. It might be true, but she couldn't help being uncharacteristically optimistic about this marriage. She knew both Madge and Gale would love their baby. And although Madge appeared indifferent, Katniss suspected her feelings for Gale ran deeper than even Madge wanted him to know.

She thought one day Gale would likely realize that he loved his baby's mother, too. It was more than duty. It was who Gale was. Madge was part of Gale's family now, and for Gale there was no stronger bond than family.

Though she once thought the two had little in common, Katniss had recently revised her opinion. After all, Madge and Gale were two of the strongest, most passionate people she knew. Madge didn't carry that fiery spirit on the surface, like Gale did, but she did, after all, stand up to her parents when they tried to pressure her into an abortion. And when they tried to get her to change her mind about marrying Gale. During the Final 8 interviews, she bravely confessed to all of Panem just why Katniss had volunteered for her at the Reaping, and Haymitch told her the corresponding influx of sponsors had likely saved her life.

It was only then, when the mayor realized his daughter wasn't going to fold, that he reluctantly accepted his new son-in-law… and created a cushy new job for him as "District 12 Peacekeeper Liaison." It was now Gale's duty to make sure that the justice meted out by the Peacekeepers was in line with District 12 laws and that the populace maintained a good working relationship with its Peacekeeping force. The irony of Gale obtaining such a position was lost on no one, and Katniss expected he'd fulfill his job obligations as effectively as Darius did his.

Katniss and Peeta watched Gale take his new wife out for a spin on the dance floor. They began stiffly, but she said something and he began swinging her around as if she was weightless. She laughed and he actually smiled and reached down to place his hand on her stomach.

"Have you changed your mind?" Peeta asked softly. "About marriage, about having children one day?"

Katniss shook her head.

"As long as there's a chance my children could be reaped… I don't think I could do it." She turned to Peeta with a serious expression. "Is that going to be a problem one day?"

He smiled.

"As long as I have you, I don't care about anything else." He kissed her cheek, and when he spoke again, his voice was teasing. "Besides which, look how easily you changed her mind about having a boyfriend."

She snorted.

"Right. Easy. It only took a tragedy, several heroic sacrifices, you capturing the hearts of the whole country, an unprecedented rule change by the gamemakers, the loss of your leg, and a handful of poison berries."

"If that's all it took to win your heart, I'd do it again several times over. I still have three good limbs left."

"You're a fool, Peeta Mellark," but she smiled and said it as if she were saying three other words, three words she had not yet told him, at least not out loud.

But her smile fell from her face as she remembered the serious situation they still found themselves in. Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Don't forget that Snow is not happy that our threat with the berries forced the gamemakers to allow us both to live. He doesn't seem like type to let go of a grudge easily."

Peeta sighed and nodded.

"I know things won't be all sunshine and rainbows just because we're out of the arena, but at least we'll face whatever we have to together."

She nodded. "Together," she confirmed. And with that, she smiled and pulled him out onto the dance floor.

"Come on," she teased, "I think I owe you a dance."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: That's it! I know some of you were probably hoping for the storyline to continue throughout the whole Hunger Games, but that was never my intention with this fic. Suzanne Collins did a great job with the Hunger Games, which was already from Katniss's POV, and I didn't really want to rewrite that. My intention was to sort of imply that things went down fairly similarly to the original storyline – except of course that Katniss _consciously_ fell in love with Peeta.**

**Since it's not explicit, you can imagine how things happened yourself, but here's how I sort of saw it: This time around, Katniss knew from the beginning that it was Peeta's intention to save her. But I think she'd probably try to stay away from Peeta in the arena, not because she didn't trust him, but because she's still angry at him for volunteering and because she's afraid of being forced to kill him or watch him die. But I think his devotion in the face of unrequited love would still be so popular with the audience that the gamemakers would try to trick them into interacting by announcing the rule change. And once that happened, once she realizes Peeta's life doesn't need to be forfeit, all those emotions she kept denying would bubble up to the surface and she could once again devote herself to saving the boy with the bread. And loving him.  
><strong>

**Remember, a number of outtakes will be coming soon – most from Peeta's POV, although they'll be at least a couple from Gale and Madge's POV. Maybe I'll even do a future-take or two from the games. I probably won't be able to publish these quite as quickly as I was able to work through these chapters, but the first one, which provides a few glimpses of Peeta before his father dies, has been posted today. Check out my profile for the separate story.  
><strong>

**I started this fic believing that reviews were mostly meaningless, but I have to admit that I loved reading each and every one. More than once, I sat at my computer, refreshing my browser, hoping that someone had left a new one. Thanks to everyone who felt a deep enough connection to the story to reach out and tell me so. Your words were incredibly rewarding and encouraging.**

**If you're desperate for more Hunger Games fanfic, check out anything by aimmyarrowshigh or monroeslittle. The latter is in the middle of an AU Civil War piece called "Knot Your Fingers Through Mine" with which I'm totally in love.**


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